Best Starting Pitcher of all Time?

[DragonfromTO]

Bro, let google be your friend. Baseball Almanac, fastest pitcher ever. Johnson threw at a clip of 137 feet per second in one test, which calculated out to 99.7.

It's laughable that you think men from the past couldn't throw as hard as men of today. How does that equate in hitting? All the guys that hit 400-600 homers back in the day without the use of juice. How many guys today are hitting 40 a year since the stricter steroid policies are in place?

Math seems wrong.

5,280 feet in a mile. 137 feet per second would be 137 feet per second X 3600 seconds per hour = 493,200 feet per hour. Divide by 5,280 and that's 93.4 mph, not 99.7 mph.

You can back this out if you do the calculation using the data I posted from his wikipedia page.... they have 134 feet per second coming out to 91.36 mph. So one mile would be 134 x 3600 divided by 91.36, or 5,280 feet.

 

[DragonfromTO]

My math could be off, but 137ft/second is a little under 93.5mph.

Either way, dude threw hard as hell for his day.

Anybody else remember the story of Bob Feller throwing opposite of a guy on a motorcycle going 100? Did that happen, or is it just some memory I created?

Nope, you've got the math right.

And yes, the motorcycle test happened. I bet there's video of it online. I don't think it was going 100 mph though.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Bro, let google be your friend. Baseball Almanac, fastest pitcher ever. Johnson threw at a clip of 137 feet per second in one test, which calculated out to 99.7.

It's laughable that you think men from the past couldn't throw as hard as men of today. How does that equate in hitting? All the guys that hit 400-600 homers back in the day without the use of juice. How many guys today are hitting 40 a year since the stricter steroid policies are in place?

What do you mean by "how does that equate in hitting?"
Are you asking me if I think that Babe Ruth could hit 60 HRs with a 50 ounce bat against today's pitchers?

 

[Nosferatu]

The comparison that I thought of actually played right in your own backyard. Had to pitch in the majors before he was ready to because of MLB rules, just like Koufax did. Had a great peak before badly injuring his shoulder at age 31, two Cy Young Awards and should have won a 3rd in the year separating them, which would have made it 3 in a row.

Unlike Koufax though he tried to come back from the shoulder injury and had one lousy MLB season before re-injuring it.

And you know what? I didn't even realize that he has a better career ERA+ than Koufax too. And his WAR is slightly lower than Koufax (not surprising just based on how workloads have changed), but very very close.

Loved Johan but wasn't upset they traded him just upset at what they got in return.

 

[UK Cowboy]

What do you mean by "how does that equate in hitting?"
Are you asking me if I think that Babe Ruth could hit 60 HRs with a 50 ounce bat against today's pitchers?

So Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth couldn't have put up the same numbers against steroid era guys if they could shoot up too, or against todays 30 HR sluggers? OK, we'll have to agree to disagree Bro

 

[DragonfromTO]

So Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth couldn't have put up the same numbers against steroid era guys if they could shoot up too, or against todays 30 HR sluggers? OK, we'll have to agree to disagree Bro

Um, did I say either of those things?

I posted a question, and you're acting like I stated a conclusion.

I'm not saying that Walter Johnson couldn't have thrown 102 mph if he'd been born 75 years later than he was. I'm merely saying that the real Walter Johnson never threw that hard.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Loved Johan but wasn't upset they traded him just upset at what they got in return.

You've gotta admit there are a lot of parallels there. A short period of immature adjustment, a brief stretch as the pretty much undisputed best pitcher in baseball including multiple Cy Young Awards, and then a devastating shoulder injury just on the wrong side of 30 ends it.

 

[broncosmitty]

Only 86. But Bob was wearin' a tie and slacks. Hahaha

TWIB without a doubt showed me this as a kid.

 

[Nosferatu]

Go ahead, after watching the Bob Feller video watch the Sandy Koufax video.

 

[broncosmitty]

Go ahead, after watching the Bob Feller video watch the Sandy Koufax video.

Post It!

I love Bob, but he's no Koufax! (Couple days ago woulda been my Uncle Leo's birthday. He was Indians property before the war. Never made it to the Bigs. (Crushed his leg sliding into second, in fall ball with my grandpa, missed the war on account of it.) Never completely let go of The Tribe though.(We went to Old Memorial a lot when I was a kid. Total dump.) He loved him some Rapid Robert, and some Hank Greenberg. Hahaha.)

 

[Nosferatu]

Actually if you watch the Feller video when it's finished it shows other videos you can watch, Sandy's is one of them.

 

[broncosmitty]

Actually if you watch the Feller video when it's finished it shows other videos you can watch, Sandy's is one of them.

Oh..... No shit!?!

Johnny Walker's a real attention whore 'round here tonight, he's makin' it hard to concentrate. Hahaha.

(I have an old SI layin' 'round from when Drysdale n Sandy played hardball fer contracts. Someday, when you n I get shit faced I need to give to you. Fer real.)

 

[nddulac]

Tough list. there are some damned good pitchers on it!

 

[UK Cowboy]

Only 86. But Bob was wearin' a tie and slacks. Hahaha

TWIB without a doubt showed me this as a kid.

If you look at the video at 1:36 when it goes to slow motion, the ball is still in his hand when the bike is 15-20 feet ahead of him.......and the ball still beats the bike there. Looks like 100 to me....in a shirt and tie

 

[navamind]

Someone really voted for Sandy Koufax? Holy christ.

 

[Nosferatu]

Someone really voted for Sandy Koufax? Holy christ.

Believe it or not it wasn't me...

 

[MilkSpiller22]

I don't think I voted, nor do I think I even can... Tommy Bond was not an Option... JK...

 

[steveringo]

Nolan Ryan usually comes in between 20th & 30th on most lists.... I'm always surprised when some folks have him in their top ten....
I clicked on big train in this poll, but I wouldn't hold it against anyone that clicked Clemens, pedro or RJ (but i'd have grove ahead of rj)

 

[steveringo]

This is an interesting study...

Www.freewebs.com/stlcards2/

Not sure if link works from my phone.

 

[gunnarthor]

I think Clemens unless you want to penalize him for PED use. Maddox basically had Pedro's entire career and then another 2000 innings. Big Unit and Big Train are right up there too.