Fun Fact: 80% of the top 30 starting pitchers by career K-BB% are still active.

[molsaniceman]

If the average pitch is faster, which I believe is true, then the average off the bat velocity has to be harder... Laws of physics...

Ted might disagree


Ted Williams, Fenway Park, June 9, 1946"
On June 9, 1946, Ted Williams hit a Fred Hutchinson pitch further than anyone has ever seen one hit at Fenway Park. The ball flew off his bat to right field, and flew, and flew, finally landing on the straw hat of a startled fan in the 37th row of the right field bleachers, which was painted red some years later to commemorate the event. For some time, this home run has been quoted as having traveled 502 feet, but Hit Tracker analysis indicates that this measurement did not include the "extra" distance the ball would have flown if it hadn't struck the fan well above field level. Examination of satellite and ground-based digital photos suggests that the 502 foot figure is an accurate measurement of the horizontal distance to the "Red Seat", but since the impact point was approximately 30 feet above field level, the ball would have covered more distance before landing at field level, had its flight not been interrupted. To reconstruct the trajectory, wind and temperature assumptions must be made, as well as a flight time to the Red Seat. Contemporary meteorological records list the afternoon high temperature as 76 degrees, and the wind at 19-24 mph from the west, so values of 76 degrees and 21 mph out to RF were selected. For time in flight, a variety of values were tested, with 5.8 seconds yielding a speed-off-bat of 119.4 mph and an angle of 30.3 degrees, which fits well with Williams' recollection that he hit the ball at a nearly perfect trajectory. Using these values, the Red Seat homer is projected to have traveled an additional 28 feet after impact, taking the total distance to 530 feet. No wonder Williams' Red Seat homer has never been even closely approached, much less equalled, in the many years since that historic day...

 

[Cedrique]

Ted might disagree


Ted Williams, Fenway Park, June 9, 1946"
On June 9, 1946, Ted Williams hit a Fred Hutchinson pitch further than anyone has ever seen one hit at Fenway Park. The ball flew off his bat to right field, and flew, and flew, finally landing on the straw hat of a startled fan in the 37th row of the right field bleachers, which was painted red some years later to commemorate the event. For some time, this home run has been quoted as having traveled 502 feet, but Hit Tracker analysis indicates that this measurement did not include the "extra" distance the ball would have flown if it hadn't struck the fan well above field level. Examination of satellite and ground-based digital photos suggests that the 502 foot figure is an accurate measurement of the horizontal distance to the "Red Seat", but since the impact point was approximately 30 feet above field level, the ball would have covered more distance before landing at field level, had its flight not been interrupted. To reconstruct the trajectory, wind and temperature assumptions must be made, as well as a flight time to the Red Seat. Contemporary meteorological records list the afternoon high temperature as 76 degrees, and the wind at 19-24 mph from the west, so values of 76 degrees and 21 mph out to RF were selected. For time in flight, a variety of values were tested, with 5.8 seconds yielding a speed-off-bat of 119.4 mph and an angle of 30.3 degrees, which fits well with Williams' recollection that he hit the ball at a nearly perfect trajectory. Using these values, the Red Seat homer is projected to have traveled an additional 28 feet after impact, taking the total distance to 530 feet. No wonder Williams' Red Seat homer has never been even closely approached, much less equalled, in the many years since that historic day...

I think the poster was referring to velocity of pitchers in general. What we would need to know is what kind of pitcher was Fred Hutchinson and what kind of heat was he bringing

 

[molsaniceman]

I think the poster was referring to velocity of pitchers in general. What we would need to know is what kind of pitcher was Fred Hutchinson and what kind of heat was he bringing

well hit tracker only goes back to 2006 for data but the speed of the bat avg hasnt changed since then 103 mph

but hard to argue with the law of physics teddy was 1 of a kind

 

[Cedrique]

well hit tracker only goes back to 2006 for data but the speed of the bat avg hasnt changed since then 103 mph

but hard to argue with the law of physics teddy was 1 of a kind

But with all the data they gave in talking about that HR by Williams it sounds like they could go back and do it for previous years (although it sounds like a lot of work).

 

[Cedrique]

Also, I guess the Williams HR was easier to go back and calculate since the stadium is still in existence and the seat where the ball landed is clearly marked and everything

 

[molsaniceman]

Also, I guess the Williams HR was easier to go back and calculate since the stadium is still in existence and the seat where the ball landed is clearly marked and everything

It just 1 of many highlight homers The data is there just not on the web site i would imagine

heres another


"Mickey Mantle, Yankee Stadium, May 22, 1963"
On May 22, 1963, Mickey Mantle hit a home run that none who saw will ever forget. In the 11th inning of the game that day against the Kansas City A's, Mantle hit a Bill Fischer pitch hard on a line to right field, and the ball struck the decorative facade of the stadium mere feet from the top, barely missing becoming the only man ever to hit a fair ball out of Yankee Stadium during a major league game. The ball struck the facade at a point 102 feet above field level, at a point 363 feet horizontally from home plate. Atmopsheric data is known as follows: temperature was 70 degrees, wind was 13 mph from the SW, which at Yankee Stadium means it was blowing out to left field (and thus not helping Mantle's home run much). As for the time of flight, it is not known, but various reports from witnesses state that the ball was still climbing when it struck the facade. Since all observers were below the flight path of the ball, it is not likely that anyone could really be certain that the ball was going up, but it seems likely that the ball must have been very near its apex when it hit the facade, so only those trajectories that yield an apex within a few feet of 102 feet above field level will be considered. Another consideration is the speed off the bat that comes out of the assumed time of flight: only times of flight that yield reasonable speeds off the bat will be considered. After trying numerous times of flight, a value of 3.41 seconds was chosen. This yields an apex of 108 feet, which means the ball had only slightly passed its peak. The ball left the bat at an angle of 27 degrees, with a calculated value for speed off the bat of 124 mph, an extrememly high value, but one that seems feasible for what Mantle, one of the greatest long-distance hitters ever, referred to as the hardest ball he ever hit. With the inputs described above, Hit Tracker estimates the true distance of the Mantle "facade" homer at 503 feet

 

[broncosmitty]

DP% rising is the same reason HR% rises... Players hit the ball harder... that's all...

Are DPs rising?

If the lack of adjustment with two strike swings has caused an increase in Ks,(or whatever the figures are. We all know there are more Ks and less guys who try to make contact in pitchers counts) DPs would have a converse dip, right?

I haven't had any chance to look at anything today, but I'm still really curious.

Maybe more teams send runners from first to second with two down now, idk.

 

[broncosmitty]

This exit velocity from non current games stuff is silly to me.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Are DPs rising?

If the lack of adjustment with two strike swings has caused an increase in Ks,(or whatever the figures are. We all know there are more Ks and less guys who try to make contact in pitchers counts) DPs would have a converse dip, right?

I haven't had any chance to look at anything today, but I'm still really curious.

Maybe more teams send runners from first to second with two down now, idk.

On further research, the DP rate has not really changed much... It has been .7+ per game every year since 1968... and has only been .8 or higher 16 times in baseball history(including 7 seasons of under 3000 game sample)

 

[broncosmitty]

On further research, the DP rate has not really changed much... It has been .7+ per game every year since 1968... and has only been .8 or higher 16 times in baseball history(including 7 seasons of under 3000 game sample)

There seriously is less than 1 DP per game?

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Also, I don't understand why we knock the modern game and how small ball is not played anymore....

you realize that the higher the HR rate is the more runs per game...

 

[MilkSpiller22]

There seriously is less than 1 DP per game?

Apparently so...

 

[broncosmitty]

Apparently so...

I'm floored.

 

[broncosmitty]

Also, I don't understand why we knock the modern game and how small ball is not played anymore....

you realize that the higher the HR rate is the more runs per game...

Not necissarilly.

Likely though, very likely.

not sure if there are stats easily at hand that compare pitchers from the stretch versus windup, but I'll take a leadoff when I'm down two and like it.

 

[Villain]

DP% rising is the same reason HR% rises... Players hit the ball harder... that's all...

Source?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Three-fifths of the Indians* rotation make up 10% of the players in the top 30.

Archer was once in the Indians system, too. Traded him to the Cubs for Mark F DeRosa.

It'd be nice to pencil him into the rotation instead of Cody Anderson.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Nah, it's not the pitching.

It's the approach to hitting, imo.

I think it could be a combination of the two, but there's no question in my mind that the modern day pitcher's approach has a lot to do with it.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Now I'm also curius on where modern DP%'s stand historically.

Double Penetration Percentage? I'd guess that's stayed pretty static. Takes a special kind of lady for that.

 

[Cedrique]

I'm floored.

Yeah, it sure seems like there are more than that. There may be a few more this year because I have seen them call some based on the new rule change that would have been considered "broken up" in the past.

 

[Villain]

Archer was once in the Indians system, too. Traded him to the Cubs for Mark F DeRosa.

It'd be nice to pencil him into the rotation instead of Cody Anderson.

Mark DeRosa is awesome on MLBN.