Who was the first major league baseball player to pitch a ball over 100mph?

Answer 1

Right now the guy who's throwing the hardest, and isn't a reliever is Justin Verlander. His rookie season he often hit 100 to 102 MPH in games(was clocked at 102 in his no hitter.) Zumaya also often hit 101-103... he led the leagues in pitches at or over 100 mph that season as reliever. I've seen Harden, Brian Wilson, Kerry Wood, Brad Lidge, Burnett, Papelbon and Beckett all hit it before. Oswalt had a pitch clocked at 100 on a foul tip his rookie season but haven't seen him throw harder than 99 since then.

Most people don't know much about this, and just make up crap. Obviously guys like Nolan, Clemens and Johnson hit 100(Nolan did so more than any pitcher probably.)

But the fastest I've seen a guy throw is Billy Wagner. One game he closed in like 2003, he threw like 13 pitches, 9 were 100 or over. Every other pitch he threw was a mediocre fastball clocked at 99.

Answer 2

Pitchers who have hit the 100 MPH mark or higher: (from the first recorded to most recent)

(Pitcher | speed of pitch | date | Ball Park)

1. Nolan Ryan | 100.9 mph | 8/20/1974 | Anaheim Stadium
2. J.R. Richard | 100.0 mph | 5/25/1976 | Candlestick Park
3. Dwight Gooden | 100.0 mph | 6/17/1990 | Three Rivers Stadium
4. Rob Dibble | 101.0 mph | 6/8/1992 | Candlestick Park
5. Jose Mesa | 101.0 mph | 5/1/1993 | Cleveland Stadium
6. Robb Nen | 102.0 mph | 10/23/1997 | Jacobs Field
7. Bartolo Colon | 100.0 mph | 10/6/1999 | Jacobs Field
8. Roger Clemens | 100.0 mph | 10/10/2001 | Yankee Stadium
9. Armando Benitez | 102.0 mph | 5/24/2002 | Shea Stadium
10. C.C. Sabathia | 100.0 mph | 6/28/2002 | Jacobs Field
11. Guillermo Mota | 101.0 mph | 7/24/2002 | Qualcomm Stadium
12. Billy Wagner | 101.0 mph | 7/30/2003 | Turner Field
13. Josh Beckett | 100.0 mph | 10/12/2003 | Pro Player Park
14. Eric Gagne | 101.0 mph | 4/16/2004 | Pacific Bell Park
15. Kyle Farnsworth | 101.0 mph | 5/26/2004 | Minute Maid Park
16. Francisco Cordero | 100.0 mph | 7/7/2004 | Jacobs Field
17. Randy Johnson | 102.0 mph | 7/9/2004 | Pacific Bell Park
18. Ben Sheets | 100.0 mph | 7/10/2004 | Miller Park
19. Jorge Julio | 100.0 mph | 9/16/2004 | Skydome
20. Daniel Cabrera | 100.0 mph | 5/9/2005 | Camden Yards
21. Rich Harden | 100.0 mph | 5/13/2005 | McAfee Stadium
22. Derrick Turnbow | 100.0 mph | 5/27/2005 | Miller Park
23. A.J. Burnett | 101.0 mph | 5/31/2005 | PNC Park
24. Kerry Wood | 100.0 mph | 8/10/2005 | Wrigley Field
25. Bobby Jenks | 102.0 mph | 8/27/2005 | Safeco Field
26. Dustin McGowan | 100.0 mph | 10/2/2005 | Rogers Centre
27. Tony Pena | 101.0 mph | 6/7/2006 | AT&T Park
28. Brandon League | 100.0 mph | 7/14/2006 | Rogers Centre
29. Joel Zumaya | 104.8 mph | 10/10/2006 | McAfee Coliseum
30. Brad Lidge | 100.0 mph | 4/23/2007 | Citizens Bank Park
31. Rafael Soriano | 100.0 mph | 5/4/2007 | Turner Field
32. Matt Lindstrom | 102.0 mph | 5/16/2007 | PNC Park
33. Justin Verlander | 102.0 mph | 6/12/2007 | Comerica Park
34. Seth McClung | 101.0 mph | 8/21/2007 | Chase Field
35. Joba Chamberlain | 101.0 mph | 8/24/2007 | Comerica Park
36. Radhames Liz | 100.0 mph | 8/25/2007 | Oriole Park
37. Jonathan Papelbon | 100.0 mph | 4/22/2008 | Fenway Park
38. Brian Wilson | 100.0 mph | 9/21/2008 | Dodger Stadium
39. Jonathan Broxton | 102.0 mph | 5/14/2009 | Citizens Bank Park
40. Tim Lincecum | 101.0 mph | 8/7/2009 | AT&T Park
41. Ubaldo Jimenez | 101.0 mph | 10/7/2009 | Citizens Bank Park
42. Brandon Morrow | 100.0 mph | 5/5/2010 | Progressive Field
43. Stephen Strasburg | 100.0 mph | 6/8/2010 | Nationals Park
44. Andrew Cashner | 100.0 mph | 6/26/2010 | US Cellular Field
45. Henry Rodriguez | 102.0 mph | 8/22/2010 | The Coliseum
46. Aroldis Chapman | 103.9 mph | 9/1/2010 | Great American Ball Park
47. Neftali Feliz | 103.4 mph | 9/1/2010 | Rangers Ballpark

Answer 3

Nolan Ryan has been noted as the first player to pitch over 100mph, but the real answer is unknown, because the earlier pitchers didn't have radar guns.