Started By
Message
0
Posted on 6/21/22 at 1:46 pm to XenScott
I caught one of the local radio shows the other day, had a couple former LSU guys talking (I didn't catch the names, sorry).
What they were saying makes a good bit of sense- the radar guns "back in the day" were way more bulky and simplistic, and calibrated differently. One of the guys talked about how either the pitching coach or pitcher might do something (brush his glove a certain way, etc) to tip off the radar guy that he was going to throw a fastball, because they couldn't leave the gun turned on (battery would run down or something). That way, they could get timed on the fastball.
The overall point they were making was, the pitches aren't faster now, they simply are measured different, the gun now is calibrated differently and reads it higher.
And now, just like back then, a good hitter can feast on a straight-line fastball without movement, unless it's significantly hotter than what they're used to.
So now, we see a lot of 96-100 mph fastballs, when you used to see 92-95. Batters are still lining it up.
What they were saying makes a good bit of sense- the radar guns "back in the day" were way more bulky and simplistic, and calibrated differently. One of the guys talked about how either the pitching coach or pitcher might do something (brush his glove a certain way, etc) to tip off the radar guy that he was going to throw a fastball, because they couldn't leave the gun turned on (battery would run down or something). That way, they could get timed on the fastball.
The overall point they were making was, the pitches aren't faster now, they simply are measured different, the gun now is calibrated differently and reads it higher.
And now, just like back then, a good hitter can feast on a straight-line fastball without movement, unless it's significantly hotter than what they're used to.
So now, we see a lot of 96-100 mph fastballs, when you used to see 92-95. Batters are still lining it up.
Posted on 6/21/22 at 1:49 pm to Scoob
I think there is probably something to that, but average fastball velo is up 3-5 mph even in the last 10 years where we've had similar technology the whole time. Guys just throw harder due to training, lifting, focus on speed, etc and all that stuff that has "advanced" the last 10-20 years.
Of course, hitters are also much more used to seeing speed than they were in 1997 because they see it every weekend and saw it their entire travel ball career. So it does even it out a little.
Of course, hitters are also much more used to seeing speed than they were in 1997 because they see it every weekend and saw it their entire travel ball career. So it does even it out a little.
This post was edited on 6/21/22 at 1:51 pm
Posted on 6/21/22 at 5:26 pm to Oilfieldbiology
Read the damn article I posted. The old radar gun measured the speed of ball closer to the batter after it lost velocity. These are facts not bulkshit.
Posted on 6/21/22 at 5:28 pm to BLSooner4
Read that article I posted if you care to know. It’s estimated to be 10% drop
Posted on 6/21/22 at 5:37 pm to XenScott
Wiggins is absolutely the poster child for this.
He can hit triple digits. It comes in fast and straight and goes out fast and arced.
He can hit triple digits. It comes in fast and straight and goes out fast and arced.
Posted on 6/21/22 at 5:46 pm to lastfan
quote:
The 105 mph guys today aren’t coming close to Ryan in his heyday.
Wouldn’t say that. The fastest he was ever clocked was 100.9 mph. 5% deceleration from hand to the plate would equate to roughly a 105 mph fastball. I’d say his fastball was comparable to the fastest throwers of today. There’s a pretty interesting doc, I believe called “Fastball,” that goes into detail about all of this
On average, though, players are throwing harder now than they even were 10 years ago, mainly due to advanced training methods designed specifically to have guys throw harder.
This post was edited on 6/21/22 at 5:52 pm
Posted on 6/21/22 at 6:48 pm to lsufball19
quote:
100.9 mph. 5% deceleration from hand to the plate would equate to roughly a 105 mph fastball. I’d say his fastball was comparable to the fastest thr
Just an FYI, using your numbers from above would actually translate to 106.2 MPH. If it is a 7% decrease, that would work out to 108.5. And if drag reduces velocity by 10%, Ryan was throwing at 112.1 mph.
The average increase in velocity between the two measuring methods would depend on a lot of factors but the above is the math for the ranges from 5-10%.
Posted on 6/21/22 at 6:49 pm to thatthang
quote:
And if drag reduces velocity by 10%, Ryan was throwing at 112.1 mph.
I hope you’re not arguing Ryan threw 112 mph (or 108 for that matter)
This post was edited on 6/21/22 at 6:51 pm
Posted on 6/21/22 at 6:53 pm to lsufball19
quote:
I hope you’re not arguing Ryan threw 112 mph (or 108 for that matter)
I’m arguing that I know how to do math, as it wasn’t clear that you did.
Posted on 6/21/22 at 9:38 pm to lsufball19
This article calculates Ryan’s 100.9 mph fastball to be close to 108.5.
Ryan’s pitch was measured at 10 feet in front of home plate. When the proper adjustments are made, his 100.9 mph fastball becomes closer to 108.5 mph.
ETA Ryan threw that pitch in the 9th inning.The guy was truly a freak.
Fastball Equivalencies
Ryan’s pitch was measured at 10 feet in front of home plate. When the proper adjustments are made, his 100.9 mph fastball becomes closer to 108.5 mph.
ETA Ryan threw that pitch in the 9th inning.The guy was truly a freak.
Fastball Equivalencies
This post was edited on 6/21/22 at 10:16 pm
Posted on 6/21/22 at 9:59 pm to lastfan
I could never hit a 90 mph fastball but some guys clearly can but you drop in a wicked slider, and or curve ball and can place them and that’s freaking unhitable
Posted on 6/24/22 at 8:11 pm to AA7
I saw Sammy Sosa hit the longest HR in Turner Field history off Maddux. He threw one right down the middle. Andruw Jones didn’t even take a step back.
Posted on 6/24/22 at 8:32 pm to SummerOfGeorge
I’d tend to agree on this. New tech definitely factors in, but overall emphasis on conditioning (and from earlier and earlier ages) is so much higher than it used to be also factors in.
Posted on 6/24/22 at 8:55 pm to XenScott
quote:
Arky threw everything they had at ole miss and they stoned it.
We lost the deciding game 2-0
Hardly a withering indictment on our strategy
Page 3 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News