Quote:
Originally Posted by insidethewrapper
Love that Walter Johnson Supplement. It states he throws the ball 122ft/sec. That equals only 83 mph. He must have throw it harder than that or he would be considered "slow " today.
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OT, but you can imagine that the methods used to measure Walter Johnson's fastball were shaky at best. WaJo likely threw in the mid-high 90's from all accounts.
WaJo himself commented that Smoky Joe Wood threw faster at his peak.
Amos Rusie "The Hoosier Thunderbolt" likely was extremely fast as well based on all accounts.
FYI, fastball measurement didn't really get sophisticated until the 1970's when the aerospace industry used radar to gain more accurate measurement.
In 1974, aerospace industry leader Rockwell Intl. used their accurate radar equipment to measure Nolan Ryan's fastball. Measurement of speed was calculated as the ball passed the plate, not out in front of the mound like today's measurement. For the record, Nolan Ryan's fastball was clocked at 100.9 MPH which is still the record in the Guinness Book of Sports Records.