My Arguments for Barry Bonds

[Baseballa19]

eddo31,

Don't take my word for it. Track down someone in the business of professional baseball scouting. It is a MYTH that every staff has 4 guys that throw 90+ consistantly. The 10% stat is a fact. It's not something I've made up.

[Kidd7138]

There's no way that I believe that only 10% of pitchers in the majors throw 90+. That means that theres only on average 1-2 guys on each staff that have good velocity. I find it especially hard to believe when I can think of about 5 guys who played for the Red Sox's Hi-A class team this past year that scouts reported can throw over 90.

[Baseballa19]

Guys, the statement said CONSISTENTLY throw 90+. Lots of guys can TOUCH 90-92 on the gun, but PITCH at 87-89. There's a big difference between MAX velocity and AVERAGE velocity. I'm not talking about averaging in the speeds of off speed pitches either. I'm talking about average fastball velocity.

It also stands to reason that any given minor league staff would have multiple guys with great velocity because there are MANY more minor league pitchers than big leaguers. Just throwing hard doesn't get you to the big leagues.

The AVERAGE major league fastball is 88 MPH. That is a fact.

[eddo31]

im just curious, but where do you get these facts? i wouldnt be surprised if the averag evelocity was 88, but i also wouldnt be surprised if the average velocity was 90.

i will back you up on the claim about minor leaguers though. not for the reason that there are so many more of them, but because there are many high school kids and college kids that can throw 90. the problem with many fo them though is that they get injured, and by the time they reach the major leagues, if they do so at all, they have learned how to PITCH, not just how to throw. there is a big difference, which i would asusme you already knew.

[Baseballa19]

My info comes from professional scouts and different coaching journals. I am only a lowly high school coach, but have been in the business for 20 years and have had 8 kids drafted, at least that many more scouted, and have almost 50 kids that have played at the next level at least.

[eddo31]

baseballa19

i dont mean to disparage you at all, and i woul dnever lable a high school coach as a lowly position. i completely respect anyone who is a high school coach, especially for that length of time. that is a very difficult job to do, and it really puts a significant number of people in tough situations.

i hope that none of my comments came off negatively. fo the most part i think that we agree that radar gun readings are very rarely legitimate, but i just happen to believe that a higher percentage of pitchers throw 90 than you do. no big difference

[eddo31]

i actually work in baseball, so it isnt particularly difficult for me to track this info down.

you are right that the radar guns that fans see in the ballparks are a lie, but there are many more than 10% of the pitchers in major league baseball that throw over 90. 10% would be roughly 1 person per major league team, and I can name off the top of my head at least 30 pitchers who consistently throw 90.