Very interesting article in today's NY Times HERE.
Glenn Fleisig, a biomedical engineer, knows what an arm can handle, and years of research give him the confidence to answer one of baseball’s more intriguing questions: Is there a limit to how fast a human being can throw?
His answer: Yes, there is.
And, he adds: That limit already has been reached.
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"I think we’re starting to get to the point where people are starting to get tired of this stretch of ball,” Votto said. “I think something needs to start changing and start going in a different direction. I’m going to do my part to help make that change.”
I remember hearing and seeing a science show (the human hips will break/explode from the force) saying the same thing about Bob Beamon's long jump record (set in the 1968 Olympics). It seemed like it until a guy named Mike Powell beat it in 1991.That limit already has been reached.
Of course it seems that there must be a limit. Cannot have guys throwing 120 mph someday, can we? Sidd Finch to the mound please lol.
The funny thing to see would be baseballs reaction if pitchers did start reaching 110. Or even if every pitcher was like Chapman. They certainly could not let the game go with everyone pitching with Chapman's numbers. Batting averages in the high 100's. What would they do move the mound back? Place a speed limit on pitches. No one could throw over a 100? Something would have to be done but not sure what.
Lower the mound would be the answer I would imagine.Originally Posted by RadfordVA
I would have been interested in the reporting writing more about Marshall's thoughts. I know that wasn't the gist of the article, but the quotes at the end seemed cursory and some amplification of his points would have been a different angle.
Interesting piece though.
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Make it concave?
Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if somebody could throw 110. Once.
It would have but I think Marshall's a bit of a kook. It's somewhat like asking Oliver Stone his opinion on filmmaking.
We hear the statement "Major league hitters can hit velocity. It's the motion that matters." so often, that the boldly stated relationship "Batting average goes down as pitch velocity increases" is kind of refreshing to read.
"Even a bad day at the ballpark beats the snot out of most other good days. I'll take my scorecard and pencil and beer and hot dog and rage at the dips and cheer at the highs, but I'm not ever going to stop loving this game and this team and nobody will ever take that away from me." Roy Tucker October 2010
Marshall may be a kook but I'd love for the Reds to give him a couple hundred k to pick his brain.
I won't lie, Stephenson's health concerns me long term. Though I do believe the Reds will get great value from him over the short term. I have nothing to back this up, but I
like big guys like Bailey and Latos, guys who don't bedazzle the radar gun (like 98-100 fairly often) but are strong and throw hard enough.
I always thought it was around 93.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...125455873.html
"I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn't. And that's what makes it great." - Joe Posnanski
I'm neither a bio mechanical engineer nor a kineseologist, but reading Marshall's stuff is fascinating. And I think he may be right. I think someone with the right body type and aptitude could get 110 through working with him.
When all is said and done more is said than done.
Always Red (09-18-2013)
I doubt if Marshall would ever go for it. The Reds would have to commit to his program 100 percent. And that ain't happening. Dude is that kind of iconoclast/kook.
When all is said and done more is said than done.
Pitchers will continue to throw harder, hitters will continue to get faster and stronger.
It will always, more or less, average out.
The downside for pitchers is that by throwing harder, it is seeming to cause more arm injuries. Can't say the same for hitters, at least to the same extent.
There was an article written in the last year or two where they tested the stress of a cadaver UCL and estimated that it would snap at 108 MPH. Of course, I can't find the article.
Cedric 3/24/08It's absolutely pathetic that people can't have an opinion from actually watching games and supplementing that with stats. If you voice an opinion that doesn't fit into a black/white box you will get completely misrepresented and basically called a tobacco chewing traditionalist...
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