JD Hammer unleashed a fastball that reached over 97 mph Sunday. Crick's fastball currently plays in the 94-97 range and touches near triple digits, and scouts frequently project that he could sit at 97-99 mph in short bursts. In his rookie season, he started 24 games and posted a solid 4.00 ERA. People forget that Champman was a starter still throwing 100 mph late in the games in Cuba. Lefty was a craftsman, an artist, said Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn. How hard, in miles per hour, a pitch is thrown. ), Gonna follow you and I believe you'll enjoy my hubs, also (even though HubPages will award a POPULAR ACCOLADE and after a year not list it for some bizarre reason. Steve Carlton 5 of 10 Carlton's fastball was the pitch that elevated him to fourth all-time in strikeouts with 4,136. However, it wasn't long before J.R. would report to his staff that he wasn't feeling quite right. Steve Carlton Strikeout Montage scottyballgame1 56K views 11 years ago Most Feared Mobsters of Gambino Family Valuetainment 2.1M views 3 years ago Watch the FIFA World Cup live on FOX All 64. The Houston media said J.R. was just moody, and they even went so far as to say he was jealous of Nolan Ryan, who'd become the first pro athlete to make $1,000,000 per year that season. His final start at home was on Sept.12th. (Mike) Schmitty provided what the relief pitchers need most, home runs and great defense. - The rain pushed Phillies Hall of Famer, World Series and multiple Cy Young award winner Steve Carlton's latest pitching clinic inside a gym at Pottsville Area High School in Schuylkill County. If you haven't seen it there is an excellent documentary on Netflix called "Fastball." Otherwise, Carlton was dominant. Answer: There probably is one, but you would likely need to dig through at least the first 3 pages of Google's search results to find the most comprehensive one. On July 23 the Phillies beat the Dodgers 2-0 on a two-run triple by Carlton. 1985. Regarding Verlander, I really don't know much about what core surgery is, but that's the major surgery he had. An unlikely rumor is that he was able to throw at speeds of 125 miles per hour. We just know that they knew how to collect . "It looked like a Steve Carlton slider." The movement of a pitch is defined in inches, both in I haven't had coffee yet so I'm not feeling too up to thinking a lot; but one thing for sure, fans like to see those impressive numbers, so there's likely some sales involved in it all. ''It looked like a Steve Carlton slider.'' In 2011, Justin Verlander threw his 2nd no-hitter, won AL Cy Young, and AL MVP. Moyer made his MLB debut against Steve Carlton in Carlton's next to last start with the Phillies. I've never seen one pitcher dominate a team like he did the Dodgers for about 4-5 years. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle The competition in Major League Baseball is much tougher today because we've included not just African Americans, but virtually anyone in the world who can make it. How much spin, in revolutions per minute, a pitch was Some nice baseball history. And a tragic end. He went 18-5 in 2008, posting a standout 2.62 ERA with a league-leading 265 strikeouts. But the enigmatic former ace still won't talk about it, or anything else for that matter. And then something went past me that made me flinch. "It looked like a Steve Carlton slider." #Progress #Way #Progress In Life. His final start of his career was on the 22nd at Seattle when he blew out his arm in the 1st inning. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about starting pitcher Steve Carlton on ESPN. Ronald E Franklin from Mechanicsburg, PA on April 30, 2013: I enjoyed reading this hub, although it was heart-breaking to see what happened to J. R. Richard. On a different note, I didn't watch the video of Bob Feller but it would have been cool if you had written a bit more about him, given he could not only throw mad heat but pitched the only no-hitter ever on Opening Day. Carlton struck out Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh on a slider. I do remember JR Richard. play. After an electric start to his career, the one-time Nationals phenom never . I was saddened by the Astro's pitcher's story. Chapman's fastball no longer pops 100 mph as effortlessly as it used to. torrilynn - Thanks very much! Adam Morgan. Great read here, and I enjoyed it immensely. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on March 30, 2014: Not sure I agree entirely, Mark. And that is why they seem to throw harder as a group today. These are just ranges based on averages for all youth to professional pitchers. steve carlton fastball velocity. The ball took a bad hop and struck Money in the eye. Reserve your tickets, map your route, and work out all the details for your arrival in Cooperstown. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine on May 30, 1955. Tweet. Carlton won 4 Cy Young Awards and was selected to play in 10 All-Star Games. Beyond that, I know of no other to speak about. How far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the jbennett3112 - I started watching MLB in 1986. The late, unbelievably great J.R. Richard, whose career ended after a 1980 stroke. love of baseball and the passion that you. I'd be frightened too. But Nolan Ryan had seen Johnson pitch and he knew the potential he had. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. How quickly, in seconds, a catcher can get the ball out ONLY HURLER TO WIN 4 CY YOUNG AWARDS. My Blog steve carlton fastball velocity . The Nautilus was a revolutionary device (for the 1970s) that worked the entire body. Moyer's fastball might have trouble breaking a pane of glass, but the guy fashioned a 25-year career. 19 strikeout game. If we're discussing who can throw the hardest, then why leave the relievers for last? Go baseball (except the Cardinals, fuck them :-) Good hub, I've gotten to see some of those guys pitch. Voted up. . Phone: 602.496.1460 Richard and Johnson have both officially clocked in at over 100 miles per hour on numerous occasions. If you have any questions please post your comments below. But the truth is that nobody really knew before the technology was there, to measure accurately. He would win a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Houston Astros worth a huge sum of money, but he'd wind up homeless and living under a bridge just the same. Johnson's 417 career wins are second only to Cy Young, and he still owns an untouched record of 110 shutout games. This quick tip covers the Tilt and how it is a key component to pitchers like Tim Lincecums total body mechanics. This in-depth article on the history of recorded fastball speeds shows an article on members of the 1953 Dodgers being tested for their velocity, with Joe Black hitting 93.2 mph and Podres 88.5 . Wayne Twitchell. 9 hitter Eli White looped a single into short center field. Later when he came to the Texas Rangers I got to see him pitch in person at the old Arlington stadium a few times. However, I suspect in the deadball era everything moved a tad slower than today. outfield. Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "The Ryan Express," is without a doubt the single most successful and notable power pitcher in the history of major league baseball. Montreal Expos catcher Tim Blackwell swung and missed a 3-2 fastball delivered by Ryan to tie the record with the first out of the eighth. Throwing that hard at that age is ridiculous. Carlton had watched his fastball get smacked around and his defense fail to jump on it, and so had the typically laid back Ozark, who had reached a level of frustration no pile of fried chicken. Pitcher Steve Carlton played 24 seasons for 6 teams. I remember Cliff Johnson getting into fight with Goose because his catching hand was so damaged by Goose's heater. Great article! But it came quickly in Philly. Dave McClure from Worcester, UK on March 03, 2013: In the old days, they only wore leg pads, gloves and the vital 'box' or genital protector. He relied on that fastball in the eighth inning. Longest tail on a fastball I ever saw. Hope all is well. But I have to mention one that you didn't include: Satchel Paige. senior maintenance supervisor job description; Answer: Good question, Jeff. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second . I can't throw it hard or soft, and it takes the place of both a slider and a change. Yesterday marked the 49th anniversary of the most infamous trade in Cardinals history. Question: Could Babe Ruth hit 100 mph pitches? That was in 1986, the year Carlton completely fell apart and the Phils released him 8 days after that Moyer game. How high/low, in degrees, a ball was hit by a batter. It's that simple. My Father (a Giants Fan) had Season Tickets at the L.A. Feller was not just a baseball hero. Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees. Paul Blair, who batted against Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Sam McDowell, Vida Blue, Dick Radatz, and Goose Gossage, said of Dalkowski, He threw the hardest I ever saw.A near-identical statement came from Cal Ripken Sr., who caught for Dalkowski and whose professional career as a player, manager, and coach spanned five decades. Efastball.com studies pitch velocity at all levels and collects data at all major-league games to reach that conclusion. . August 12, 1986: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox. Carlton always looked for an edge. 6' 4" / 210. Just ask Rich Hill (41 years old), who makes up for his lack of velocity with his sky-touching breaking ball. University Of Cincinnati Morgens Hall Tour, Relation Between Impact Parameter And Scattering Angle. Not every pitch that left their fingertips traveled at 110 mph. The rise and fall of J.R. Richard is not a pretty tale. but a cricket ball, at five and a half ounces, and hard as a stone (give or take the leather skin), is not something to stop with your body! The break on the pitch is shorter than that of the curveball, and the release technique is 'between' those of a curveball . steve carlton fastball velocity1970 chevelle vin number locations. How much time, in seconds, it takes a runner to get from His fastball wasn't even his best pitch. I'm the type who wishes he could watch old baseball games from years ago. Baseball players, especially pitchers, work hard to stay in shape during the off-season with cardio conditioning. All of the players you have listed were or are still very hard throwers. His pitch was measured at 108.1 miles per hour. 3X Pitching Velocity Program; 3X Velocity Online Camp; 2X Position Player Velocity Program; 2X Catchers Sub 2.0 Pop Time Program; GFT Hitting Program; . time of a pitcher's first movement or pitch release. Steve Carlton was shuffling along with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, with a dismal 6-18 record, when he received a letter from a stranger. Carlton was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994. A printed and typed copy of Rickey's report on Steve Carlton are presented below. The man had as much skill and power as other greats such as Nolan Ryan. Studies performed by Mike Fast in 2010 and Jeff Zimmerman in 2014 found that for each mile per hour in fastball velocity lost, starting pitchers' run averages tend to rise by about a quarter of . Randy Johnson, feared by man and bird alike. Steve Carlton was a big, imposing left-hander with a good fastball and an astonishing slider ("like drinking coffee with a fork," Willie Stargell supposedly said of trying to hit it). Feller was the first professional athlete in the USA to volunteer for service. the same position but his head is not tilted as much and his fore arm and hand with ball in it are way behind his head and shoulder line which to me is an exaggerated Scap load position. Not all these men are truly baseball greats. Nobody in the major leagues has thrown more than 160 pitches in a game since the day Randy Johnson struck out 18 Texas Rangers in 1992. The fastball is one of three that Anderson throws: a cutting four-seamer, a true four-seamer, and this one, which he calls a one-seam sinker. He consistently led the league in strikeouts (a then record 382 in 1965), He did have a devastating curve but I think he also threw at least as fast as anyone else in the 1960's. produces a result. Slider (pitch) In baseball, a slider is a breaking ball pitch that tails laterally and down through the batter's hitting zone. . . : 2167-09-13 I always think about what could have been with guys like Bob Feller and Ted Williams. : 2172-09-02: The Houston Aeros have promoted Steve Carlton to the major league team. Feller demanded to see the front line. All it took was positive attitude and a legendary slider. Philadelphia Phillies player Steve Carlton pitching against the New York Mets on April 5, 1983 with the crowd behind him. xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will . . https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. Last year he made only five starts with a ghastly 6.64 ERA and saw his average fastball velocity drop from 95.5 mph in '19 to 92.1 mph. I have before me pictures of Tim Lincecum, Matt Morris Felix Hernandez, Steve Carlton and Sandy Koufax, Carlton and Matt are extended out beautifully at just the split second prior to front foot touch down, two beautiful views of triple extension, great visual aids, Tim is in his usual tilted body position, and I keep wondering is he not tilting his head too much, Koufax is in app. So how hard do these guys throw? "Everybody went nuts when he struck out Blackwell," said Expo's pinch hitter Brad Mills, who was up next following Blackwell. I know the game baseball and how it is played. Ryan would later surpass him before Carlton overtook the lead for the last time late in the 1984 . on Sept.17. exit velocity of 95 mph or higher. shauna froydenlund instagram. what percent of texas is christian; Blog Details Title ; By | June 29, 2022. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, and play . A fan wrote Carlton suggesting the tall lefty consider positive thinking and visualization. I saw Verlander hitting 99 mph last season. But it . Cannot belive Sandy Koufax was hardly mentioned at all. window") of the runner is at least 30 ft/sec. The season starts in the spring and brings with it all the joy of the new year with new heroes, GOATs, and loads of terrific stories. Carlton would pitch for the Phillies in St. Louis, the team he'd come up withand that had traded him away nearly a dozen years before. Nice move by Kevin Kennedy when took him out after he threw his warm up pitches in the bottom of the 7th. The pitcher's size is not significant. Nobody on my team has hit 100 miles per hour yet this season, but we've got a couple guys who could do it, and I plan to be watching when it happens :). Out of all the men gifted with the talent of pitching at 100 miles per hour, Nolan Ryan was the man who kept it the longest and used it the most. by Retrosheet. He threw a lot faster than Ryan. Steve Carlton . Standing at 6'8", J.R. Richard could regularly throw the ball at 100 miles per hour and above. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on April 09, 2020: @Tim Cromble - are those on YouTube? Ryan came into the major leagues as a kid with a phenomenal right armand he left after a record 27 major league seasons, still throwing nearly 100 miles per hour. SIX 20 WIN SEASONS. A familiar, bespectacled face for the Philadelphia Phillies unveiled a newly found fastball in spring training this past weekend. Carlton was the fourth lefty with 300 career wins, joining Eddie Plank, Lefty Grove, and Warren Spahn, and the youngest left-handed pitcher to win 300 games (unsurpassed through today). When he first arrived in the big leagues he was so skinny that his teammates called him Ichabod. Stung by that joke, Carlton was one of the first baseball players to use a Nautilus machine in the clubhouse. 48 of the 85 MLB starters threw fastballs more than 60% of their pitches, even Maddux and Livan Hernandez who averaged velocity of 86 mph or less. He was unbelievable. 1970-71, St. Louis Cardinals; 1972-79, Philadelphia Phillies. In fact the Phillies - Carlton's ball club since 1972 - believed Lefty's pitching days were over after he missed most of 1985 to injury and then began 1986 a frightfully cruddy 4-9, 6.18. . N.L. He signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1986 and finished out his career with the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players, Mad Dog and Big Hurt: How the 2014 Hall of Fame vote will turn out, he ranks among the greatest pitchers of all-time, A Few of the Greatest Players Who Arent in the Hall of Fame, When Jim Sundberg went back to Texas for a swan song, Wee Willie Keeler: The Best Bunter in Baseball History. Interesting hub. He also threw from a three-quarter position rather than straight over the topif you were you a left-handed hitter, every pitch would seem aimed at your head. In 1971, he had his first 20-win season and requested a contract of $60,000 for the following year. Confident in his ability to throw the pitch, Carlton informed Cardinals pitching coach Billy Muffett at spring training camp in February 1969 he intended to add the slider to his mix. In his second to last career game as a starter, he was throwing fastballs at 96 miles per hour past bewildered men more than 20 years his junior. The average fastball of a Major League Baseball pitcher reaches a speed of 91 mph. would be better served by dialing back on the . As a 12-year-old boy, Nolan Ryan was someone I'd already heard of, and he went on to become the biggest legend in all of baseball. steve carlton fastball velocity. Armed with a sweeping curveball, a powerful fastball and a devastating slider that broke down late, "Lefty" earned four Cy Young awards and more than 4,000 strikeouts and 300 wins in his career. Cliff Lee. Pitchers have always "aired it out". While his skill and attributes remind most fans of Nolan Ryan, his pitching motion (along with the outstanding fastball and curve-ball) is more reminiscent of another right-handed pitcher who once threw 100 miles per hour, Dwight Gooden. Kids today are playing 70+ games over the spring/summer starting from the age of 7-8 years old and are playing year round. The Big Unit threw a no-hitter early in his career. In 2015 Sonny Gray took one into the 8th but alas finished the game as a 2-hitter, which of course I was in attendance for (Braden's Perfect Game as well - but I am off topic as neither are 100 MPH pitchers) Anyway, thanks for the great read! fivem weapon spawn names. "I want it to slide across the plate and down some. Torque. Pitching Velocity Quick Tip #2. by Brent Pourciau | Oct 3, 2010 | Pitching Tips . A range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a The southpaw was an All-Star twice with St. Louis. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, 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, Double-A Tulsa. He was TALL, LEAN and MEAN. Besides his legendary fastball, known as "The Ryan Express," he also had one of the best curve-balls in the history of the sport. The 1980 season started well for Richard and he had Nolan Ryan on the team with himproviding the Houston Astros with the two most powerful right-handed flame throwers in all of baseball. What blew me away was it said he got run over by a truck when he was three years old! A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. We got a guy in the minors (Louisville) named Billy Hamilton that's probably gonna' be up next year that you will hear about if you haven't already. It's pretty certain Sandy Koufax could throw that hard too - I remember reading that when he came up he was known for a monster fastball, but he couldn't find the strike zoneand after a while someone convinced him to take something off of itand there you go - someone who was the equal of Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan for many a season! Jump is a Statcast metric that shows which players have