I vaguely remember reading a piece about Steve Dalkowski being a hard throwing prospect back in the day, but was never able to harness his control. I don't know if I'd ever heard that he could throw 110, though.
Steve Dalkowski injured himself, and his life was never the same after that. His injury cost him his baseball career. He is a fastball legend, and yes, his control was absolutely horrible.
I’ve resisted til now asking this Honest question: why are there so many threads like this in this forum, and not the sports talk forum? This topic, Kingman vs Harper, Yankees vs Celtics, ichiro vs Rose, plus others. Isn’t there a separate forum for those types of threads?
@fergie23 said:
Given how slowly most pitchers threw the ball in that era he was probably only throwing around 100.
Robb
I was watching major league the other day and it was funny that they were in awe when Ricky Vaughn hit 97 on the radar gun. Fast forward to today and we’d say the pitcher is on his downslope.
There is a great documentary called Fastball and he along with all of the hardest throwers in baseball history were in it - Walter Johnson, Feller, Koufax, Ryan... great piece to watch especially when on a plane with nothing to do 😄
@fergie23 said:
Given how slowly most pitchers threw the ball in that era he was probably only throwing around 100.
Robb
They tried to measure him one time. He had to throw the ball down a tube of some kind. Took him a LOT of tries before he got a ball down the tube. If I remember correctly, he was under 100, but they figured it wasn't his best. I want to say high 90's.
What impressed me in reading about him is that Ted Williams said he was that fast. Ted was not a guy to admit someone could throw the ball past him. He was probably more concerned with being beaned though.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Reminds me of just how entertaining it was to watch Joel Zumaya in 2006. Disappointing that he couldn't make a longer career of that fastball talent, but it was fun while it briefly lasted in Detroit.
1970s
Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
🤔
I vaguely remember reading a piece about Steve Dalkowski being a hard throwing prospect back in the day, but was never able to harness his control. I don't know if I'd ever heard that he could throw 110, though.
Good story on him in a great baseball book; "Cult Baseball Players The Greats, Flakes, Weird & Wonderful"
"Nuke" LaLoosh the pitcher in the movie "Bull Durham" was supposedly based on him.
Steve Dalkowski injured himself, and his life was never the same after that. His injury cost him his baseball career. He is a fastball legend, and yes, his control was absolutely horrible.
I’ve resisted til now asking this Honest question: why are there so many threads like this in this forum, and not the sports talk forum? This topic, Kingman vs Harper, Yankees vs Celtics, ichiro vs Rose, plus others. Isn’t there a separate forum for those types of threads?
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
Given how slowly most pitchers threw the ball in that era he was probably only throwing around 100.
Robb
He also couldn't put the bottle down.
His card has the Brian Piccolo syndrome to it also....very high $ for no apparent reason.
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
I think his card is probably high priced because of his legendary fastball. People know the legend all too well. It's almost mythical.
I was watching major league the other day and it was funny that they were in awe when Ricky Vaughn hit 97 on the radar gun. Fast forward to today and we’d say the pitcher is on his downslope.
There is a great documentary called Fastball and he along with all of the hardest throwers in baseball history were in it - Walter Johnson, Feller, Koufax, Ryan... great piece to watch especially when on a plane with nothing to do 😄
KC
The reason is obvious. Supply and demand. The card is very difficult to find in 8 or above.
That explains the supply. Until this thread I honestly wasn’t aware there was a demand. Obviously there is though.
Yaz Master Set
#1 Gino Cappelletti master set
#1 John Hannah master set
Also collecting Andre Tippett, Patriots Greats' RCs, 1964 Venezuelan Topps, 1974 Topps Red Sox
Yay! I have the ONLY 7.5!
Dee Fondy a Reds player once bunted a ball foul off a Dalkowski pitch and later said "it was one of the hardest hit balls of my life"!
They tried to measure him one time. He had to throw the ball down a tube of some kind. Took him a LOT of tries before he got a ball down the tube. If I remember correctly, he was under 100, but they figured it wasn't his best. I want to say high 90's.
What impressed me in reading about him is that Ted Williams said he was that fast. Ted was not a guy to admit someone could throw the ball past him. He was probably more concerned with being beaned though.
Reminds me of just how entertaining it was to watch Joel Zumaya in 2006. Disappointing that he couldn't make a longer career of that fastball talent, but it was fun while it briefly lasted in Detroit.
I've never heard of him but always heard how fast Ryne Duren threw along with him being wild.