I remember when a 100 MPH MLB pitch was a rare thing, not so much any more.
Through the sheer size of the pitchers as well as biomechanics, a lot more guys hit or exceed 100 and some even in the 103-105 range. It's impressive to see, and doubly so live.
Get plunked in the melon with one of those and it's goodnight Sally.
I've gravitated to college sports a lot more of late, including baseball. Not necessarily because of the quality of play, but due to the unpredictability and the fact that all pro sports now feel the need to blast music the moment there is a break in the action. Whatever happened to going to a ballgame, pounding beers, and shooting the shit with your friends?
But, seeing Skobal and Skenes pitch back-to-back in a double header was good stuff.
Link: Bring the Heat
Replies to: I remember when a 100 MPH MLB pitch was a rare thing, not so much any more.
Excellent post. You can throw it 103 but if there is no movement might as well be 90
(no message)
Noticed this during the college World Series playoffs
I could not believe the number of guys who were hitting 100. It was almost common. Used to be that just a handful of MLB’ers could do that.
watched a documentary that mentioned where the ball is clocked makes a huge difference in the actual
MPH noted.
Someone did a conversion of Nolan Ryan's peak fastball by today's standards.
Accounting for the difference in where the measurement is now taken vs. then. It's something like 108 m.p.h.
I don't know how good the math is on that, but that is nuts.
I remember when pitchers finished games and had long careers
But today they can make a fortune in a couple years.
All our athletes are pushing their bodies to extremes for $
i remember when dizzy & daffy dean (brothers) pitched all 7 games of the world series for st. louis.
(no message)
I remember when you could watch a game on TV w/o all the insufferable commercials.
In between innings. During actual play. In between pitches. The batter stepping out from the box and adjusting their batting gloves sponsored by Creepy Heating and Cooling. This foul ball sponsored by Acme Fireworks Company. Change of pitchers is brought to you by Schlitz Malt Liquor. Let's hear from our young babe on the sideline telling fans a lot about nothing. We thought it was such a great idea used by college football that MLB decided to bore fans even more napping at home in their recliner. Sponsored by the law firm of Shank, Shank, and Tootsie of course. And everyone's favorrite, this 5th inning drunken brawl in the stands is brought to you by Danley's Bail Bonds. I miss the days of the daytime Cubs, WGN, and the late great Jack Brickhouse on the call.
A bit before my time but I did watch Denny McLain win 31 games and NO ONE will ever do that again
Who can forget Palmer, Cuellar, McNally and Dobson?
An incredible feat not truly appreciated today.
Yep, and you can even look more recently.
40 years ago, we saw some incredible pitching performances, but importantly, there were 627 Complete Games pitched in the Major Leagues. The top 6 guys combined for 96 of them (!).
There were 28 Complete Games in 2024.
It might be fair to say that teams have better relievers now, though.
Not only do most teams have closers with very defined roles, but it's probably also true that in this day and age of monitoring pitch counts, more teams have a better overall bullpen than teams from >35 years ago.
I absolutely fondly recall the days of starters having more complete games like you, but the best explanation I've heard from modern-era managers is -- even forgetting about pitch counts -- they have to weigh whether or not they think the 107th pitch from their starter in the 8th inning is going to be better than the 1st pitch from a quality, rested reliever.
Yes! Billy Martin was famous partially for his pitchers going 9 innings. I remember he took the A's
who were not supposed to do anything to the playoffs and he had about 4 pitchers with a ton of complete games.
Load management in all sports dilutes the product. But the $$ is so large, hard to not do it.
(no message)