Fastball Fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thrown fastballs at speeds of (officially) and up to (unofficially). Pitchers who throw more slowly can put movement on the ball, or throw it on the outside of home plate where batters can't easily reach it. The appearance of a faster pitch can sometimes be achieved by minimizing the batter's vision of the ball before its release. The
Bob Feller However, this took place in the later years of his career and the speed of the ball was measured as it crossed the plate (whereas later methods measure the speed as it leaves the pitcher's hand). With primitive equipment Feller was at one point measured at . Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He also threw the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at , in a game in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. Feller said a 1974 test involving Nolan Ryan would be evaluated when he threw the ball rather than when it