Zumaya K's Milton Bradley With 104 MPH Fastball

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Zumaya K's Milton Bradley With 104 MPH Fastball

Written by Bob Biscigliano

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 20:11

Everyone knows Joel Zumaya can bring the heat. Even after beating Guitar Hero on expert level and having two major surgeries that left people doubting he'd ever return to his rare 2006 form, he can still bring it. As Rod Allen said tonight, he brings, "easy cheese."

Tonight he further proved that by striking out Cubs' Milton Bradley with a fastball that Fox Sports Detroit telecast gunned at 104 MPH.

104 MPH!?!

According to Detroit4lyfe statistician Chip Stevenson, no human has ever thrown 104 MPH before. I heard Billy Koch (cock) threw 106 MPH once, the year following his Tommy John. However, it was never documented like this. Therefore, it never happened. Joel Zumaya throws the fastest fastball ever.

Unfortunately, Zumaya doesn't understand just how lethal a 100+ fastball is because two batters later he threw a stupid change up to Hoffpauir who hit a go-ahead two-run bomb. I don't blame Cubs announcer, Bob Brenly for ripping on him:

"That's one of the stupidest pitches I've ever seen. How does a guy that throws a 104 mph fastball with a snap curveball think its smart to throw a change in any situation?" (h/t The Friendly Blogfines)

Keep bringing that easy cheese, Zumaya. When you have hitters like Bradley staring up into outer space wondering if he ever even saw that last pitch, you know you bring HEAT.

Comments (15) Add Comment

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written by TheGoldfishCowboy, June 24, 2009

Brenly and I pretty much said the same thing, but mine was louder and more laced with bad words.

Also, I'm pretty glad to have all the Mudhens on the roster.

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written by Bob, June 24, 2009

I think the entire city of Detroit who knows any baseball shared your anger. Right on!

Thanks for the link by the way. Great recap yourself.

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written by Akecke, June 24, 2009

thats just re-god-damned-diculous. I'm just praying Strasburg can throw 110 so the nats will win some games.

104? Seriously? GD!

Nope
written by Ian Coffey, June 24, 2009

Just TV and Stadium radar guns arent even close to reliable enough to use to determine fastest anything. Ive seen 94mph curveballs and 60 mph fastballs before.

Also, its medically proven that the human shoulder cant withstand much more than 100mph. Its doubtful anyone will ever hit 104mph, let alone Zumaya.

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written by Ian Coffey Clueless, June 24, 2009

Why do you say doubtful anyone will hit 104mph.."let alone Zumaya" Zumaya is the hardest throwing pitcher in the league, if anyone can do it it would be him.

A few years ago Zumaya was throwing 102 on multiple stadium/TV guns..all of them were wrong all the time? Regardless if the guns are correct or not, he's still throwing 4+ MPH faster than anyone in the league, give the guy credit.

Also why do you say doubtful anyone will hit 104mph.."let alone Zumaya" Zumaya is the hardest throwing pitcher in the league, if anyone can do it it would be him.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/fastest-pitcher-in-baseball.shtml

-1

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written by Ian Coffery is Probably Right, June 24, 2009

He's saying it's doubtful because a) Stadium Radar guns are notorious for posting readings that are 3 or 4 MPH higher than the actual speed (trust a baseball scout's gun if you want something accurate) and b) because it's been studied and proven that pitching velocity has reached its maximum potential. Tom Verducci wrote an excellent article about Tim Lincecum where he explains that the hardest thowing MLB pitchers are already bearing as much force as is humanly possible without arm ligaments blowing apart. So unless something about human physiology changes, you're just not going to see a guy throw significantly faster than anyone before him.

As far as the "let alone Zumaya" comment goes...well Z almost certainly didn't throw 104 MPH but it can't be argued that he's one of, if not the hardest thrower in MLB.

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written by seaver78, June 24, 2009

mlb.com's pitchFx has the four pitches in the AB as:
101.4
102.7
101.6
102.2

So according to them, the second pitch was actually the fastest Bradley saw (or more likely, didn't see).

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written by Detroit4lyfe, June 24, 2009

The point is that 104 MPH showed up on the radar gun. How often have you seen 104 MPH on the radar gun, whether it's a scout's gun or a stadium gun? There are glitches or mistakes to explain the above commenter witnessing 94 MPH curveballs (probably picking up the swing) and 60 MPH fastballs (probably picking up my fastball or the throw back to the pitcher from the catcher).

There is absolutely NO argument that can be made that says Zumaya isn't one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the game, if not ever. He hits 100 MPH on the gun on a more consistent basis than anyone I've ever seen and he's had 2 major surgeries!

Even if radar guns are proven to be 3-4 MPH fast, that would still mean his fastball on this given pitch legitimately hit 100-101. So when guys like Verlander or Lincecum hit 100 on the gun, they're throwing 96-97 legitimately. Zumaya still trumps that.

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written by Detroit4lyfe, June 24, 2009

Thanks for sharing Seaver. Those are still some silly MPH #s. So fast.

synthesis
written by a lost mets fan, June 25, 2009

to all the zumaya defenders here - i don't think anyone mentioning the stadium gun is trying to take away from z's ability to bring the heat - i would say there's a 98% chance he's the hardest thrower in the ML's right now. but! it is to say that both the title of this post, and its implication that this might be the fastest FB ever, are both mistaken. Zumaya threw what was probably a 101 mph fastball. Which is absurd. But it's not 104 mph. Just the facts, nothing against zumaya. I would love if J.J. Putz could even hit 98 on ANY radar gun.

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written by pete, June 25, 2009

I attended a game where Matt Anderson and Manny Ramierez went at it. It was late in the 2001 season. Neither team was in convention. Matt's radar readings were 104 on a few occasions. I can't prove it other than to say I was there...the game was played fight after 9/11. Anderson got Manny out. So 104 on a stadium radar gun has happend before...and to sort of confirm the body thing. Matt hasn't been the same since.

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written by Detroit4lyfe, June 25, 2009

Ah, yes. Matt Anderson was a rare specimen as well. I take your word for it, Pete.

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written by Did it Again!, June 25, 2009

Game on June 24th another one of his pitches registered 104 MPH. Stadium gun of not, guy is throwing 6 more MPH than anyone else can muster on that same gun.

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written by Dirac, June 29, 2009

You people do know that the pitchers calls come from the coach through the catcher...right? That stupid pitch was not Joel's choice and he is not at the point in his career where he will be shaking off many signs. So, before bashing him, I would think. As for Cubs announcers, what do you want, they are Cubs announcers. They think the moon is made of green cheese.

You're wrong
written by Detroit4lyfe, June 29, 2009

Dirac,

Only sometimes do pitches come from the bench and it hardly matters when your pitcher shakes it off until he gets the pitch he wants to throw. In this case, you never see Laird looking to the dugout after every pitch waiting for a pitch call and you see Zumaya shaking off a fastball. After all, these guys are professionals. I played college ball and only sometimes did we have a coach call the pitches, so I doubt Gerald Laird and Joel Zumaya use the services of a bench coach before every pitch. It was a mistake, I'm not bashing him, merely pointing out a silly mistake he made.