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1974 Nolan Ryan : 235 pitch 13 inning game (no decision)...also threw 108.1 mph the same year!!
1966CUDA
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in Sports Talk
1966CUDA
Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭✭
1966CUDA
Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭✭
1966CUDA
Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭✭
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The man was in his physical prime for sure. an amazing athlete.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Nolan Ryan is to pitchers what Babe Ruth is to hitters. Not that Ryan was as good at pitching as Ruth was at hitting (or pitching), but Ryan is easily the most legendary pitcher of all time. And my personal favorite player of all time. It was just plain fun watching Ryan pitch, and I watched him whenever I had the chance. He came to his first fame helping the Miracle Mets win a World Series, and he went out with his epic beatdown of Robin Ventura and in between was every bit as exciting.
I was at Anaheim Stadium when Ryan struck out 19 against the Red Sox April 30, 1974- It was surreal
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Ryan was a stud for sure but I dont believe the 108.1. Id believe the radar said that but it wasnt all that accurate back then. Even now with guys throwing max effort, using high speed cameras to optimize their motions and spin, specialized training, individualized nutrition etc you rarely see even 105 which is basically the max. Ryan threw really hard but I suspect he just put it in the right place where the reading gave him a few extra MPH like you see in those pitching machines in stadiums
The radar was very erratic that measured the 108 in that game. It was measuring other fastballs of his in that game at 83 MPH etc.. The readings were all over the place.
These were the top speeds of his fastballs in each inning in that game. Keep in mind they were the top speeds and aren't showing the other fastball speeds that varied even lower.
It never actually read 108 MPH, that was an extrapolation based on where the radar picked up the ball...which since the gun itself was erratic, the point of pick up isn't a guarantee either.
There are some frame by frame side by side comparison of Ryan vs current pitchers(Hicks and Chapman) from a modern gun throwing 105 MPH that measure up though to a tee, so Ryan's top fastball was legit as anyone else's that has been measured.
Ryan was a pioneer. He changed the way pitchers were desired. After him, the ability to throw gas became more desired by MLB teams.
@dallasactuary Ryan is to fastballs and pitcher strikeouts as Ruth is to HR. I think that is a good comparison.
There are enough flame throwers to watch with each pitch being measured in the last 25 years to know that it would be extremely odd for their top speeds each inning to vary by that much. Maybe in an entire game or month for some physical reason, but not during the same game.
Still right up there... and the 235 pitches! Starting pitchers now get pulled under 100 pitches.
"pitch counts per start in the MLB, the average MLB team has their starting pitcher throw fewer than 100 pitches and it's safe to peg the average starting pitcher pitch count at 95 pitches"
Would you believe two guys in just one week matched Nolan Ryan's 1974 record of 21 K's in a seven inning HS game? I can't tell one way or the other though whether it was a super perfect game (perfect game where every batter struck out) though.
https://alvinbaseball.org/teams/varsity/nolan-ryan-strikeout-record-broken
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
When he pitched I rarely missed a game. Always felt he had a strong chance for the no hitter.
....
I've mentioned before that this feeling is something huge missing from modern MLB. Even if it wasn't going to be a no hitter, it was when a guy really had his stuff going. Some guys were always candidates for it. Other guys would just be on that day, and when that happened you knew they were going to stay in the game.
On this day, October 6, 1969, a wild-throwing 22-year-old Texan, Nolan Ryan, came out of the Mets bullpen in the 3rd to give the franchise its first World Series berth
Ryan was a unicorn. I believe he had the best arm ever attached to a shoulder. he was certainly a max effort pitcher, with the grunts and all, and even though, he was able to throw a ton of innings every season. His pitch counts were incredible as well.
Pitchers today certainly cannot match the combination of velo and endurance Ryan had.
I have read some articles about the 108 MPH pitch and I do believe he hit that number. he was still in the high 90s well into his 40s.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.