All of this is mentioned to clarify what Bob Feller did that day in Washington. J.R. Richard rivals Nolan Ryan, Bob Feller and Walter Johnson as the most consistent hard thrower in major league history, and dozens of emails pointed that out. ... Bob "Rapid Robert" Feller took the same motorcycle test and his fastball was estimated at 104 mph. Bob Feller Early in his career, Feller became the first and only pitcher to ever throw a no-no on Opening Day, when he kept the White Sox hitless in April of 1940. What is the Fastest Pitch ever Thrown The range of pitching speed for a 16 year old is 69 â 80 mph. In a separate stunt his pitch beat a speeding 86-mile-per-hour motorcycle in a race and, when accounting for the motorcycle's headstart and ⦠Indians' 10 Greatest Pitchers . I think the first official pitch measured at 100 MPH was Nolan Ryan in 1974, who was clocked at 100.9 MPH. I just know how to pitch with him. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. Bob Feller Feller won 26 games, ten of them shutouts, and completed 36 gamesâall league highs. Bob Feller The fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a demonstration. And Ryan's was measured approximately 10 feet in front of home plate. Bob Feller was all of them. Feller became one of the most famous pitchers in baseball history. As the war began to pick up speed in 1942, the Indians quickly began losing their best players, including future Hall of Famer Bob Feller. Feller went on to pitch a no-hitter, with catcher Frankie Hayes hitting a home run for Cleveland in the ninth ⦠Year H Rank; 1953: 163: 24th in AL: 1952: 219: 10th in AL: 1951: 239: 2nd in AL: 1950: 230: 13th in AL He was 92. There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. It was on a closed off road in Chicagoâs Lincoln Park back in the summer of 1940, 5 years after... In 1954, Feller was the fifth starter on an Indians team that won 111 games behind tremendous pitching. After the first batter is thrown out trying to bunt, Bob Feller, a 17-year old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, strikes out eight consecutive batters in three innings during an All-star break exhibition game against the Cardinals' Gas House Gang. Here's the fasted MLB pitch ever recorded (supposedly). While scouting Feller, Slapnicka said, "This was a kid pitcher I had to get. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bob Feller's mind tells him he still can throw the speed ball by you. Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. Harper also joins Robinson as having won the award for two different clubs. Nolan Ryan. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Justin Verlander. After the first batter is thrown out trying to bunt, Bob Feller, a 17-year old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, strikes out eight consecutive batters in three innings during an All-star break exhibition game against the Cardinals' Gas House Gang. Bob Feller was dubbed âThe Heater from Van Meterâ for his four-seamer. Feller, who won 266 games in 18 seasons - all with the Indians - died at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday night of acute leukemia at a hospice, said Bob ⦠Bob Feller. Answer (1 of 2): Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? Feller would win only four more games before retiring in 1956. Get MLB news, scores, stats, standings & more for your favorite teams and players -- plus watch highlights and live games! Reynolds led the AL in shutouts in back-to-back seasons in 1951 and â52, with seven in the former year and six in the latter. Feller played primarily as a shortstop or outfielder, emulating Rogers Hornsby's batting stance. Feller was one of many fireballers -- Nolan Ryan, Steve Dalkowski and David Price -- that I spoke to when writing High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest ⦠Only users with topic management privileges can see it. Ryanâs best is 100.8 mph. Shortly after that, he would lose almost four years of pitching while serving in the military, but following his return, he impressively hurled two more no-hitters. In 1936, Feller was signed by Cy Slapnicka, a scoutfor the Indians, for one dollar and an autographed baseball. Ted Williams, arguably one of the best batting eyes in the history of the game, who faced Bob Feller and numerous others, instead said Steve Dalkowski was the fastest pitcher ever. That's 150 mph. The couple divorced in 1971; from the divorce settlement, Virginia received the house she and Feller had built. Bob Feller's fastball is clocked using army ordinance equipment. Army equipment and computations recorded ⦠Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. His fastball was fast and fuzzy; it didn't go in a straight line; it would wiggle and shoot around. Bryce Harper took home his second National League Most Valuable Player Award:. Like Feller before him, Ryanâs fastest pitch speed measurement requires adjustment because at the time, his pitch was measured at 10 feet in front of home plate. Adjusting Fellerâs pitch to align with todayâs standard, he was closer to 107.6 mph. With one out and the tying run on second in the bottom of the ninth, Feller was hanging onto a 1-0 lead when Chicago pinch-hitter Jake Jones sent a drive to right-center field. Enough variables were satisfied to calculate the speed of the pitch. Bob Feller Stats, Fantasy & News. Bob Fellerâs journey from an Iowa farm to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, began in 1936. Deduced from that: Feller threw at 104. In this manner, how fast was Nolan Ryan's fastest pitch? Even so, his fastball sailed through the armyâs speed measuring device and was clocked at 98.6 mph. According to the account in the next dayâs Plain Dealer, Feller threw six pitches, with the velocity getting as high as 98.6 mph. You're skeptical of the FFE measurement? Geez, until the early 1920's most people were convinced that a curve ball couldn't be thrown! In 1940, when MLB wanted to test the speed of Bob Feller's fastball, radar wasn't available to the public yet, so it made sense that they used the most common way that people were caught speeding - the police motorcycle and it's ever-present speedometer. In 1946, Bob Feller was tested at Marylandâs Aberdeen Proving Grounds on a military device that used photoelectric cells to measure speed. Matched up against Feller and Cleveland on July 12, 1951, he became the first Yankee in 13 years to throw a no-hitter; Feller, who had thrown his third no-hitter just 11 days earlier, allowed just four hits and one run. Year H Rank; 1953: 163: 24th in AL: 1952: 219: 10th in AL: 1951: 239: 2nd in AL: 1950: 230: 13th in AL 5. Bob Feller : biography November 3, 1918 â December 15, 2010 Feller and his wife, Virginia Winther, had three sons, Steve, Martin, and Bruce. Check out the full ratings for 95 OVR Legend Series Bob Feller in MLB 16 The Show Diamond Dynasty Brought in as a child prodigy, he was a star from the get-go. After his retirement from baseball, he worked for Primerica Financial Services.. Turley made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Browns in 1951, and stayed ⦠Mr. Feller's fastball was so extraordinary that there were repeated efforts to measure its precise speed. He spent April [â¦] | Photograph shows Bob Feller, of the Cleveland Indians, pitching to New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio in the fourth inning during a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York City; Frankie Hayes, catching, and umpire Eddie Rommel behind the plate. T10. Randy Johnsonâs heater instilled fear and exploded birds. Bobby Doerr, also 92, is seven months older. The reason was Strasburg, ⦠Early life. ... it is easy to see how pitch velocity can be added. The range of pitching speed for a 10 year old is 41 â 55 mph. Ok, I am a Bob Feller lover. In his first appearance of the season on April 24, Feller suffered an injury to his elbow while throwing a curve ball. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. July 6, 1936. The blistering speed of Fellerâs fastball He then got up right in front of the machine, reared back and fired. Probably just about as fast as now (see below for some disclaimers) - if you were able to accurately measure a Walter Johnson or Bob Feller fastbal... This topic has been deleted. The highest speed Koufax was ever clocked at was 93.2 mph. I could not find a radar run clocking for the 6-foot-8 Astros right-hander, who pitched throughout the 1970s before a stroke prematurely ended his career. How fast did Sandy Koufax throw? I see these other comments, and they all make valid points, but at the same time, maybe you (or the opponent you are facing using Bob Feller) are becoming predicable, and therefore get rocked. If you've never heard of him, it's because he had a career record of 46-80 and a 5.59 ERA - in the minor leagues. Probably in the low 90,s but these guys were real pitchers and did not need to overpower everyone He played for the Cleveland Indians and was elected on the first ballot in 1962 to Cooperstownâs Baseball Hall of Fame. Not as fast as they do now except for certain select pitchers. They threw âthe rockâ a lot more times to do physical damage to the batter. Using fe... One humorous attempt to demonstrate Bob Feller's pitching speed involved a competition against a motorcycle. https://myvintagephotos.com/product/bob-feller-sport-magazine-june-1947 A pitcher's ability to increase velocity and maximize ball speed while avoiding shoulder and elbow injuries is an important determinant of a successful career. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, and assuming Feller was placed 60 feet away when he pitched, that means his throw was probably between 80 and 90 mph. In a tie. The next year, NBC Radio covered his graduation from high school in Van Meter. Feller was not just a baseball hero. However, the method of measuring pitch speed was quite different in 1974 compared to today. Similar retroactive estimates have put Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Fellerâs fastest fastball at 107.6 miles per hourâand that was all the way back in 1946. Bob Feller Timeline. The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. I think the first official pitch measured at 100 MPH was Nolan Ryan in 1974, who was clocked at 100.9 MPH. Thatâs when the 17-year-old pitcher took the mound for the Cleveland Indians and struck out a scrappy shortstopâand future Hall of Famerânamed Leo Durocher. Bob Feller rage!!! ?â Feller, who died in 2010 at age 92, went on to pitch for the Indians until 1956. Randy Johnson. Headed to the ninth inning, Bob Feller was leading the White Sox 1-0 with Bob Kennedy on second base and one out. He missed the peak of his career due to World War II, ⦠The test was conducted in Chicago's Lincoln Park and required Feller to hit a target 12 inches (300 mm) in diameter, 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) away. So speed is not everything. All on FoxSports.com. Bob Feller. The equipment was used to measure artillery shell velocity. Due to Feller's pitching speed, Lew Fonseca was commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner to pit Feller's fastball against a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a speed trial. But the speed of Johnson's fastball was measured after it would have crossed home plate. He set the standard for excellence under Chief Wahooâs aegis, hence the Bob Feller statue outside Progressive Field. A later method determined Feller threw 104 miles per hour. Virginia died on May 6, 1981 in her home in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It is estimated that Walter Johnson was throwing around 100 MPH. It can't be said with certainty as radar didn't exist then. . Kelvin Herrera â 102.8 MPH (2012) If you ask Brett Lawrie, he probably wouldn't be able ⦠Satchel Paige, who could bring on the heat himself, believed Feller was the fastest and told teammates, "If anybody threw that ball any harder than Rapid Robert, then the human eye couldn't follow it." Online Dictionaries: Definition of Options|Tips July 6, 1936. According to the documentary, adjusting Fellerâs pitch with todayâs motorcycle-less standards, it actually registered at 107.6 miles per hour. Those were his strengths throughout his career, his ability to get the speed extra-base hits and to draw a walk. A split-second after Fellerâs offering broke the paper target, the motorcycle obliterated its target. Fellerâs team included Hall of Famers Phil Rizzuto, Bob Lemon, Stan Musial, batting champion Mickey Vernon, and three-time 20-game winner ⦠Consider this. With a 4-man rotation and the expectation to pitch out of trouble, or to hang in there if they were losing, we know that pitchers threw more inning... Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. BOB FELLER: Pitching for the Cycle. Lifting Weight Doesnât Increase Pitching Velocity, Really! He refused all non-combat roles that would have had him serve more as a cheerleader. HALL OF FAME ADVICE Bob Feller will talk pitching anytime, anywhere. That was the day, April 16, 1946, when rookie outfielder Bob Lemon saved Bob Fellerâs Opening Day victory over the Chicago White Sox. Still, others feel that the praise and recognition should go to Bob Feller who pitched a baseball at a speed of 107 mph (some say it was 107.9 mph). Bob Feller (1936-41, 1945-56) Rarely has anyone had a more celebrated and successful major league debut than Feller, a 17-year-old flame-throwing wunderkind who began his career by pitching three innings of an exhibition for the Indians against the St. Louis Cardinalsâand striking out eight batters.