who threw the fastest pitch in major league baseball
Aroldis Chapman On July 11, 2014, Chapman broke the record, previously held by Bruce Sutter, for the most consecutive relief appearances with a strikeout, having struck out at least one batter in 40 consecutive appearances. Chapman's streak began on August 21, 2013,[2] and lasted 49 consecutive games over two seasons, with the 49th and final game being on August 13, 2014. He shares the record for the fastest recorded pitch speed in MLB history, at 105.1 miles per hour (169.1Â km/h),[3] as well as the Guinness World Record for fastest baseball pitch.[4]
Designated hitter However, momentum to implement the DH did not pick up until the pitching dominance of the late 1960s. In 1968, Denny McLain won 31 games and Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA, while Carl Yastrzemski led the American League in hitting with only a .301 average. After the season, the rules were changed to lower the mound from 15 to 10Â inches and change the upper limit of the strike zone from the top of a batter's shoulders to his armpits. In addition, in 1969 spring training, both the American League and National League agreed to try the designated pinch hitter (DPH), but they did not agree on the implementation. Most NL teams chose not to participate. On March 6, 1969, two games utilized the new DPH rule for the very first time. Two newly formed expansion teams, the Montreal Expos and the Kansas City Royals, would participate in one such game, and the New York Yankees and Washington Senators in the other. On March 26, 1969, Major League Baseball nixed the idea for the time being. However, a four-year trial in which the International League and four other minor leagues started using the DH for their games began that year.[11]