Fastball documentary on Netflix

[OleMissCub]

Interesting documentary about, well, fastballs. They have a physicist on there that claims that Nolan Ryan once threw a 108 mph pitch. They got that number because he was once recorded in 1974 throwing a pitch that was 100.8, but that the sensor picked it up just 10 feet from home plate, whereas modern readings are calculated at 50 feet from home plate. Using a similar technique they claim that Feller could hit 107 throwing his hardest and that Walter Johnson threw 93.8 (although it wasn't off a mound and he was wearing church clothes).

 

Obviously I'm not a scientist, but is it possible that Ryan, as a young man, could throw harder than Chapman? Those numbers for Ryan and Feller seem absurdly high and I don't put much faith in them, although I do suspect that they could both throw low 100's in their primes.

[CubInOK]

Did the physicists do any research on the sound they make?

[weis21]

I don't have an answer (that's sort of my mantra) but it was a good documentary when i watched it a couple weeks ago.

 

if i had to guess based on my gut, i'd probably guess that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. i guess it's possible someone could throw 108 but it certainly seems absurd that someone could do it 30-40 years and nobody can do it today (with the benefits of training, nutrition, etc.)

[JennieGarthAlgar]

I don't have an answer (that's sort of my mantra) but it was a good documentary when i watched it a couple weeks ago.

 

if i had to guess based on my gut, i'd probably guess that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. i guess it's possible someone could throw 108 but it certainly seems absurd that someone could do it 30-40 years and nobody can do it today (with the benefits of training, nutrition, etc.)

 

http://i.imgur.com/jEgv0n2.jpg

[OleMissCub]

One of the crazy things in that documentary was when Nolan Ryan stated that he threw a 15 inning CG and had a pitch count over 250 and then 4 days later he threw another complete game. Guy was a complete freak.

[Liam Neeson]

One of the crazy things in that documentary was when Nolan Ryan stated that he threw a 15 inning CG and had a pitch count over 250 and then 4 days later he threw another complete game. Guy was a complete freak.

 

The sad part is he doesn't fully grasp how unique his arm was. Just tells kids to keep throwing and to suck it up.