MLB: The 10 Fastest Fastball Throwers of All Time

Baseball pitch velocity: the most competitive challenge presented in ‘America’s Favorite Pass-time’.  From the moment the pitcher releases the ball from his hand, the batter must decide if he’s going to swing, or not, and how; and he has less than .40 seconds to make that decision—that’s at a pitch of 90 mph.  The following pitchers didn’t afford a hitter that much time.

10. Randy Johnson–While the ‘Big Unit’ rounds the list at a paltry 102 mph, it’s important to remember that, at 6’ 10”, there was never a more imposing figure that ever took the mound.  His success was built upon his consistent speed and the angle of trajectory (given his extraordinary height), making the angle of incidence (point of contact of bat and ball) a near impossible task for a batter.

9. Bobby Jenks–Now residing with two other 100+ club members on the Red Sox (Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard), Jenks is the poster-child for power pitchers.  Not only can the man clip at 102 mph, but he throws a very ‘heavy’ ball–a ‘bat-breaker’.

8. Brian Wilson–‘Blackbeard’, also weighing-in at a mere 102 mph, is the go-to guy in the late innings of the reigning champs, San Francisco Giants.  His dark, intimidating intensity is only matched by the pinpoint control of his phenomenal flame.  His skill defines the title of ‘closer’.

7. Steve Dalkowski–Although he never received a Major League paycheck, it’s only fitting to include him in the list.  In the minors, 1958, his speed was measured at a soft 102.2 mph.  However, those who faced him, including legend Ted Williams, assessed his unmeasured speed at 110 mph; and possessing little control of his projectile, he was truly a feared presence on the hill.

6.  Jonathan Broxton–At 6’4”, 300 lbs., this Georgia native is the foundation of the Dodgers bullpen; and, rightly so, given his propensity to keep his median velocity at, or above, 100 mph.  He peaked at 102.5, giving him an earned spot on the list.

5.  Mark Wohlers–Most noted for his years as a closer for the Atlanta Braves, this Massachusetts native clocked a verified speed of 102.6 mph.  Unsuccessful rehabilitation, post-surgeries, shortened his career but not his notable mention in the club of the Fastest!

4.  Joel Zumaya–While being selected in deep rounds of the draft (11th), the Detroit Tigers’ closer has paid-off in huge dividends in stabilizing a formerly erratic bullpen.  Quite often, the ‘big heat’ is saved for the job of a closer, but the Tigers like Zumaya’s 103 mph fastball to stop any momentum the opponents may have in middle innings…smart baseball!

3.  Aroldis Chapman–The ‘Cuban Missile’ arrived on the scene just a year ago to fill the much needed vacancy in the Reds’ franchise: a ‘beacon’ in a murky clubhouse.  Hitting the stage with a 105.1 mph fastball was a great way to get some press-time, even if it arrived in the form of relief.  The Reds are now left with the task of building his endurance, expanding his pith repertoire and making him a starter.

2.  Bob Feller–‘Rapid Robert’ enjoyed a 20-year stint with Cleveland beginning in 1936.  Despite the fact that he threw serious heat (107.66 mph), he had an arsenal of other pitches that were equally lethal.  This Iowa-born phenom would surely rank in the Top 5 of the greatest throwers of all time.

1.  Nolan Ryan–The ‘Ryan Express’ graced the professional mound for 27 years.  With perfect, complex mechanics, Ryan mastered consistency in velocity and was strong and determined enough to sustain this through late innings and a long career.  He holds the speed record at 108.01 mph, giving his opponent batters about .06 seconds’ less time to think about what they’re going to do.
There you have them, from number ten to number one. The fastest hands that have ever thrown a baseball in this world’s history.

(This article is offered via courtesy of highspeedinternetdeals.org)

Jose Canseco Pimps Himself Out On Twitter

The very definition of being a lame, has-been, with no foot in the door anywhere is when you have to use Twitter to make a contact—specifically when you used to be an All-Star caliber baseball player. Well, obviously, Jose Canseco must not have many television honchos on speed dial these days if he feels the need to tweet the following:

He even sent his email address out for good measure. Don't believe me? Take a look...

Either he's got a really bad agent who isn't doing his job well or he's decided to keep the fees and do his own footwork in the pitch department. Whatever the case, he looks pretty sad with this one and, not for nothing but, didn't he think that the other 395,000+ people who choose to follow him might see that email and choose to use it for their own immodest purpose? Just putting that out there.

Oh, Jose. I guess that bump on the head some years back is still effecting your thought processing abilities.

MLB: Relax, Red Sox Nation, Relax!

Guest Writer: ADAM CUBBAGE

I picked Boston to win the AL East and I stand by that pick 100 percent because I know they’re capable of pulling off a serious run. And, while this stumble out of the gate is eerily similar to the one the 2008 Detroit Tigers made when they lost their first seven games to start the season, after adding Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria to an already loaded lineup, (“They’ll break the runs scored!” record we all screamed), I have one piece of advice for the Boston Red Sox and their fans going forward: Relax!

That's easier said than done though, right?

Playing in Boston isn’t like playing in San Diego or Tampa Bay. The media is a little more intense and the fans more brutal attentive. But, let’s look at it this way, you lost, on the road, to the defending American League Champions— that’s understandable.

The Indians are playing a little over their heads right now and every good team runs into those types of upstarts.

You took two of three from the Yankees, and that’s worth its weight in chowder.

That said, there is absolutely no explanation for the 16-5 pasting you took from the Manny-less, Evan-less, and (on this night) Price-less Rays other than your team is playing with too much pressure on its shoulders.

It’s time for Terry Francona to sing a different song because the “we’re just taking it one game at a time now" one has played itself out.

You drop your biggest off-season fish down to seventh in the order and you still run Daisuke Matsuzaka out there every fifth day? It's not often I question Francona’s moves but that one was a head-scratcher. Not to mention it more than likely did nothing to keep Carl Crawford from pressing his way deeper into a slump.

I wasn’t a fan of this move because it comes too early in the year. Every manager has their reasoning, I know, but I just wasn't buying any of the ones Francona was selling.

The pitching seems to be coming around—in doses (yes, I did see the Rays game). One thing is for certain, this team is in trouble if they don’t find someone to fix Matsuzaka. He is far removed from the World Baseball Classic version of himself and can’t seem to control the strike zone like before.

The Red Sox can’t afford to keep running him out there if he is going to nibble corners and stray away from the plate. While pitching isn’t the only problem looking Boston square in the face, it sets the tone for the rest of the team.

This team needs to shape up fast or risk looking back on April as the reason they’ll be watching in October.

Other teams trending in a direction that won’t last:

Atlanta Braves: Team started off well enough going 3-1. I’ll give them a pass having to face Oswalt, Halladay, Gallardo, Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco.

Baltimore Orioles: Break up the O’s! No seriously, by July that’s what we’ll be saying when their hot start becomes just another feel good April story and they start stockpiling young talent a la the Erik Bedard-Adam Jones trade.

Cleveland Indians: Wow. Even I have to give credit to the start this team has gotten off to. Not to mention doing it without Grady Sizemore and reliever Joe Smith. Travis Hafner looks good early but another club I think that just won’t be able to sustain.

Related articles

• Boston Red Sox drop Carl Crawford to 7th; J.D. Drew leads off (sports.espn.go.com)
• Boston Red Sox call up Hideki Okajima, send down Felix Doubront (sports.espn.go.com)
• You: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox: Time To Cut Ties (bleacherreport.com)

Barry Bonds: That Little 'Somethin', Somethin' Might Cost You The Hall

Pictured: Kathy Hoskins and Barry Bonds

"Barry was like, 'Just do it right here,' " she said Bonds told Anderson. "Barry just lifted his shirt up and he said: 'This is Katie. She’s my girl. She’s not going to say nothing to nobody.' "

Then Anderson gave Bonds an injection in the belly button, Hoskins testified. She said Bonds told her: "That’s a little somethin’, somethin’ when I go on the road. You can’t detect it." (New York Times, 3/31/2011)

I don't follow baseball much. I watch it casually, root for the home team (my Atlanta Braves), and abandon it by September for college football. So, I can by no means rattle off statistical facts or figures for one Barry Bonds. But, I can tell you this, I remember the great run he had in the early part of this millennia—all those homers and intentional walks were hard to miss.

He was something to see.

However, I also remember how arrogant, self-centered, and jerky he came off in the media. He was no Sammy Sosa, no Mark McGwire, and definitely no Rafael Palmeiro where the cameras were concerned. He left you feeling a bit like an idiot for worshipping his skills with a baseball bat because who wants to root for a guy who comes off like he'd just as soon spit in your face as talk to you?

Of course, in his defense, the media didn't do him any favors. The whole "he must be on steroids" debate plagued him for quite some time. He couldn't get away from the chatter about his sudden bulk, his increase in home runs, and his sudden iron man like stamina in what should have been the golden age of his career.

Then came the BALCO conversation, and other such sordid details that made you start saying to yourself, ya know, if it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then dammit, it has to be a duck—right?...right?

Well, true to form, as the ruling came down on Mr. Bonds head today, his fate as a future Hall of Famer seemed to take center stage as well. Now all the questions about whether he did or did not, knowingly, take performance-enhancing drugs seem irrelevant by comparison—for my money, he knew exactly what he was doing, figured he could get away with it, and was arrogant enough to still believe that until the moment before he was charged with being a liar—and the only question now is what's next for him in the court of public opinion?

In my mind, he's a cheater, but what will baseball say about him? Does he have enough goodwill anywhere to escape the fate that Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro have already fallen victim to—no Hall for ya'll—or will he be able to skirt by with his 762 homers, keep his mantle as king, and find that the only time he'll serve is for not telling the truth nine years ago?

At this point, it seems a lot like nothing. This all happened so long ago now that I wonder if anybody really even cares. Yet, as a humble, and casual, observer, I hope this still matters to someone because cheating is cheating and—if Bonds is as guilty as I think he is—cheaters should never win.

Related articles

• Barry Bonds found guilty of obstruction of justice - USA Today (news.google.com)
• CHART OF THE DAY: Still Plenty Of Hall Of Fame Players In The "Steroid" Generation (businessinsider.com)
• Jury Finds Barry Bonds GUILTY of Obstruction of Justice (sfist.com)

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Israel Troupe?

Photo Credit: Kelly Lambert

In case you're a regular reader and were wondering what's up with the "Wherefore Art Thou..." question, here's the deal: its the slow part of the year (as far as college football), so what started out as a cutesy title for an article about Georgia Bulldog defensive back, Jakar Hamilton, is now—for the moment—a weekly profile of players who have failed to live up to expectations.

Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let's move on to Israel Troupe.

Troupe, a former dual-sport standout for Tift County High School, will enter his senior season with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2011, and his career, to this point, can only be described as unexceptional.

What happened to this prospect who was once recognized as one of the top players in the state? What has played the biggest role in his lack of development? In my opinion, he's never truly given his total effort to playing the game of football.

As a high school senior, Troupe didn't hold gridiron dreams. His love was for baseball and, had he gone as high in the MLB Draft as he would have liked, he likely never would have committed to play football at Georgia. However, he would eventually be selected in the 31st round—effectively making his decision to play football a no-brainer—ending his dreams of playing pro ball before they began. 

Since that time, Troupe has attempted to have one foot in both worlds. Whether he was looking into practicing with the Georgia Baseball team, or considering signing on with the Athens Pirates (an amateur baseball team), Troupe has never been completely focused on football and that has hurt him more than the nagging injuries or the shifting depth chart.

Will he finally be something more than a warm body in a red and black uniform, or will he continue to be a non-factor as he's been in his entire career thus far?