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Chapman throws fastest pitch ever recorded
By Steve Henson, Yahoo! Sports
SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.
The blazing pitch pushed a white-hot pennant race to the back burner. Yes, the San Diego Padres won the game 4-3 to pull ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card race. Sure, the San Francisco Giants all but buried the Colorado Rockies thanks to a dominant performance by Tim Lincecum.
But the lingering memory was of a now-you-see-it, did-I-actually-see-it fastball to Tony Gwynn in the eighth inning. The pitch was not a fluke: Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph. He didn’t throw a slider. He didn’t throw a changeup. Why would he?
From Steve Henson to Bob Feller to Steve Dalkowski to J.R. Richard to Nolan Ryan to Stephen Strasburg, blistering velocity is etched forever in baseball lore. Rush Chapman to the head of the list. Has anybody in the history of the game had a comparable 25-pitch sequence?
“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”
The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.
Gwynn’s father, Tony, a Hall-of-Famer and one of baseball greatest hitters, never saw a pitch as fast as the one Chapman threw. Maybe nobody else has, either. Since radar guns were introduced in the 1980s, the fastest pitch recorded was 104.8 mph by Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006. Chapman, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2009, was clocked at 104 on Sept. 1 in his second major league appearance and also hit 105 mph with a pitch for Triple-A Louisville earlier this season.
Chapman, speaking through an interpreter with bags of ice strapped across his arm, credited his stepped-up velocity Friday to the fact that he’d pitched only once in the last week. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first eight relief appearances after being promoted Aug. 31, but the Astros nicked him for two runs a week ago. He pitched a scoreless inning on Monday against the Brewers, then had three more days off.
“My arm had been a little sore and the rest helped,” he said. “I felt as good as I did a couple weeks ago. Not the best I’ve ever felt, but I felt good.”
Reds manager Dusty Baker appreciated the moment, but the loss grated on him. Chapman was warming up in the bullpen when Miguel Tejada delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh against Nick Masset that drove in the Padres’ third and fourth runs. Chapman came in and struck out Adrian Gonzalez on three fastballs that registered 101, 102 and 103 mph.
Baker had been reluctant to summon Chapman to face Tejada with the bases loaded and the Reds holding a one-run lead, envisioning a wild pitch or a walk.
“A guy throwing that hard, looking back you can say I should have brought him in earlier, but he can’t pitch against everybody all the time,” Baker said.
Asked if that was the hardest he has seen Chapman throw by a small degree, Baker replied, “By a big degree.”
Padres officials said the stadium radar gun is not known for inordinately high readings, unlike the Fox TV gun that recorded Zumaya at 104.8. Chapman had three other pitches Friday clocked at 104 mph.
This wasn’t the first time Chapman had pitched at Petco Park. He started for the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009 and was knocked out of the game in the third inning against Japan and took the loss. His fastest pitch was 101 mph.
“I’ve grown up and improved so much since then,” he said. “I remember that night and losing my composure a little. I couldn’t find the strike zone. That seems like a long time ago.”
After defecting during a tournament in the Netherlands in July 2009, Chapman signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January. It was widely predicted that he would sign a much more lucrative deal with a deep-pocket team such as the Yankees or Red Sox, but some teams backed off because of concerns about his maturity.
“We’ve got to make bold moves sometimes,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said at the time.
Now the signing looks genius. And maybe by the time the playoffs begin, Baker will go to Chapman earlier, even with the bases loaded.
“When a guy is throwing that hard, you feel sort of helpless,” Gwynn said. “We’re just glad we had enough runs to win before he came in the game.”
By Steve Henson, Yahoo! Sports
SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.
The blazing pitch pushed a white-hot pennant race to the back burner. Yes, the San Diego Padres won the game 4-3 to pull ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card race. Sure, the San Francisco Giants all but buried the Colorado Rockies thanks to a dominant performance by Tim Lincecum.
But the lingering memory was of a now-you-see-it, did-I-actually-see-it fastball to Tony Gwynn in the eighth inning. The pitch was not a fluke: Chapman threw 25 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and every one was at least 100 mph. He didn’t throw a slider. He didn’t throw a changeup. Why would he?
From Steve Henson to Bob Feller to Steve Dalkowski to J.R. Richard to Nolan Ryan to Stephen Strasburg, blistering velocity is etched forever in baseball lore. Rush Chapman to the head of the list. Has anybody in the history of the game had a comparable 25-pitch sequence?
“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”
The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.
Gwynn’s father, Tony, a Hall-of-Famer and one of baseball greatest hitters, never saw a pitch as fast as the one Chapman threw. Maybe nobody else has, either. Since radar guns were introduced in the 1980s, the fastest pitch recorded was 104.8 mph by Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006. Chapman, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2009, was clocked at 104 on Sept. 1 in his second major league appearance and also hit 105 mph with a pitch for Triple-A Louisville earlier this season.
Chapman, speaking through an interpreter with bags of ice strapped across his arm, credited his stepped-up velocity Friday to the fact that he’d pitched only once in the last week. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first eight relief appearances after being promoted Aug. 31, but the Astros nicked him for two runs a week ago. He pitched a scoreless inning on Monday against the Brewers, then had three more days off.
“My arm had been a little sore and the rest helped,” he said. “I felt as good as I did a couple weeks ago. Not the best I’ve ever felt, but I felt good.”
Reds manager Dusty Baker appreciated the moment, but the loss grated on him. Chapman was warming up in the bullpen when Miguel Tejada delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the seventh against Nick Masset that drove in the Padres’ third and fourth runs. Chapman came in and struck out Adrian Gonzalez on three fastballs that registered 101, 102 and 103 mph.
Baker had been reluctant to summon Chapman to face Tejada with the bases loaded and the Reds holding a one-run lead, envisioning a wild pitch or a walk.
“A guy throwing that hard, looking back you can say I should have brought him in earlier, but he can’t pitch against everybody all the time,” Baker said.
Asked if that was the hardest he has seen Chapman throw by a small degree, Baker replied, “By a big degree.”
Padres officials said the stadium radar gun is not known for inordinately high readings, unlike the Fox TV gun that recorded Zumaya at 104.8. Chapman had three other pitches Friday clocked at 104 mph.
This wasn’t the first time Chapman had pitched at Petco Park. He started for the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009 and was knocked out of the game in the third inning against Japan and took the loss. His fastest pitch was 101 mph.
“I’ve grown up and improved so much since then,” he said. “I remember that night and losing my composure a little. I couldn’t find the strike zone. That seems like a long time ago.”
After defecting during a tournament in the Netherlands in July 2009, Chapman signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds in January. It was widely predicted that he would sign a much more lucrative deal with a deep-pocket team such as the Yankees or Red Sox, but some teams backed off because of concerns about his maturity.
“We’ve got to make bold moves sometimes,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said at the time.
Now the signing looks genius. And maybe by the time the playoffs begin, Baker will go to Chapman earlier, even with the bases loaded.
“When a guy is throwing that hard, you feel sort of helpless,” Gwynn said. “We’re just glad we had enough runs to win before he came in the game.”
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Cr122
Guest
I'm pissed off about how the Yanks are playing in these last few games.
I know I can't expect them to win every game and take the World Series every year, but c'mon we need to beat the Rays and Redsox.
Look how the Phitans take care of business, that's how you have to be at this time of the year.
I know I can't expect them to win every game and take the World Series every year, but c'mon we need to beat the Rays and Redsox.
Look how the Phitans take care of business, that's how you have to be at this time of the year.
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Cr122
Guest
Looks like no one wants the AL East, maybe the Rays and Yanks fall asleep and Boston wins it, but I doubt it being 5 and a half out with 6 games to go.
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Cr122
Guest
Too bad Boston, we clinched tonight.
Have a nice time home watching the playoffs. lol
Have a nice time home watching the playoffs. lol
C
Cr122
Guest
Updated: October 4, 2010, 3:26 PM ET
Justin Morneau out for postseason
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ESPN.com news services
The Minnesota Twins have ruled out Justin Morneau for the entire 2010 playoffs, determining the first baseman has not recovered enough from a concussion to return to the field.
With Or Without You
Justin Morneau hasn't played since July 7. But the Twins have remained consistent in his absence, hitting and winning at the same clip or better as when he was in the lineup.
Category Pre-Injury Post-Injury
W-L 45-39 49-29*
Team BA .272 .274
Runs/Game 4.7 5.0
Slugging .423 .420
* - Best in AL since July 8
Morneau, who has been out since July 7, was left off the team's American League Division Series roster with the hope that he might be ready in time for the ALCS, if the Twins make it that far. But the Twins re-evaluated, and if they make it back to the World Series for the first time since 1991, they will have to play without their All-Star.
A four-time All-Star and the 2006 AL MVP, he has begun to improve and hasn't had any recent setbacks, but general manager Bill Smith said Monday the team doesn't want to rush Morneau back.
"In talks with Justin and our doctors and everybody, we have made the decision that to try to get him ready to play in the ALCS or the World Series in the matter of two weeks is accelerating the process too quickly," Smith said.
Morneau was injured while sliding into second base in Toronto nearly three months ago. He collided with Jays second baseman John McDonald's knee and left the game after feeling woozy. The aftereffects lingered well into September, but the All-Star first baseman has been improving.
The Twins remained patient all summer with Morneau, saying his long-term health was more important than getting him back on the field. They expect Morneau to join the team for the start of spring training.
Morneau was hitting .345 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs when he was injured.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Justin Morneau out for postseason
EmailPrintComments
ESPN.com news services
The Minnesota Twins have ruled out Justin Morneau for the entire 2010 playoffs, determining the first baseman has not recovered enough from a concussion to return to the field.
With Or Without You
Justin Morneau hasn't played since July 7. But the Twins have remained consistent in his absence, hitting and winning at the same clip or better as when he was in the lineup.
Category Pre-Injury Post-Injury
W-L 45-39 49-29*
Team BA .272 .274
Runs/Game 4.7 5.0
Slugging .423 .420
* - Best in AL since July 8
Morneau, who has been out since July 7, was left off the team's American League Division Series roster with the hope that he might be ready in time for the ALCS, if the Twins make it that far. But the Twins re-evaluated, and if they make it back to the World Series for the first time since 1991, they will have to play without their All-Star.
A four-time All-Star and the 2006 AL MVP, he has begun to improve and hasn't had any recent setbacks, but general manager Bill Smith said Monday the team doesn't want to rush Morneau back.
"In talks with Justin and our doctors and everybody, we have made the decision that to try to get him ready to play in the ALCS or the World Series in the matter of two weeks is accelerating the process too quickly," Smith said.
Morneau was injured while sliding into second base in Toronto nearly three months ago. He collided with Jays second baseman John McDonald's knee and left the game after feeling woozy. The aftereffects lingered well into September, but the All-Star first baseman has been improving.
The Twins remained patient all summer with Morneau, saying his long-term health was more important than getting him back on the field. They expect Morneau to join the team for the start of spring training.
Morneau was hitting .345 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs when he was injured.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
C
Cr122
Guest
That's good news for Yankee fans.
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I'm a Braves fan and I don't think my choking dogs win a game...Well maybe one game 
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Cr122
Guest
Nice, the Rays lose.
sbk92
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Cliff Lee.
The Rays were the one team that usually has success against him, but not today.
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Cr122
Guest
Thanks for reminding me of the possibility of having to face him.
He's the one pitcher I really wanted on the Yanks.
sbk92
2
- Messages
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C
Cr122
Guest
Especially, if Cliff Lee dominates them if we make it past the Twins.
I won't count out the Rays yet, look what the Redsox did to the Yanks about six or seven years ago.
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Cr122
Guest
Phillies are starting out nicely, they very well could win this thing.
They look hungry again.
They look hungry again.
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Cr122
Guest
Halladay is dominating the Reds.