WBRS Sports Blog

On July 11, Jim Eriotes became the oldest player in the history of professional baseball to play in a game, when he struck out in his only at-bat with the Sioux Falls Canaries. This particular event had no impact on me as a sports fan, but I later found out that on the Today Show Eriotes insisted he could and has hit pitches thrown close to 100 MPH. Bullshit anyone? Not only do I believe Eriotes can't hit a 100 MPH pitch, but how many people can actually throw that fast? This got me thinking...who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? Nolan Ryan? No. Sandy Koufax? No. Bob Feller? No...try career minor-leaguer Steve Dalkowski.

Many who faced Dalksowski insist he threw harder than Ryan and Koufax, but while he may have had the fastest cannon for an arm, he was also the wildest pitcher ever (explaining why he never made the Major Leagues). Combining these two extremes, Dalkowski's feats on the diamond are so mind numbing that baseball fans are left in awe and shock. Some of the great stories Dalkowski produced are:

In a high school game, Dalkowski threw a no-hit, no-run game with 18 strikeouts and 18 walks. -(Sporting News)

In an Eastern League game, Dalkowski struck out 27 and walked 16 while throwing 283 pitches. -(Sporting News)

He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box.-(Baseball-Almanac)

One night at Kingsport, Dalkowski threw a pitch that tore off part of a batter's ear. "It made me so scared, I didn't even want to look at it," said Dalkowski. Many people believe after this incident Dalkowski feared one of errant pitches would kill someone.-(Sporting News)

During a game at Kingsport on August 31, 1957, Dalkowski struck out 24 Bluefield hitters in a single minor league game, yet lost 8-4. He had issued 18 walks, hit four batters, and threw six wild pitches.-(Wikipedia)

Dalkowski won a $5 bet with teammate Herman Starrette, who said Dalkowski couldn't throw a baseball through a wall. Dalkowski warmed up and then moved 15 feet away from the wooden outfield fence. His first pitch went right through the boards.
- (Sports Hollywood)

Some said his fastball was at least 110 MPH, while most agreed it was somewhere between 100-105 MPH. Perhaps if Dalkowski had any sense of control, he could have been one of the best pitchers ever. In fact, in 1962 he finally started to figure it out, in which his last 52 innings included 104 Ks, while walking 11, and conceding just one run. Unfortunately the following spring training, his arm went dead on a routine throw to first base. Fans can only wonder what could have been.