The Legend of Steve Dalkowski

[weams]

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1951&dat=19790701&id=iB4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CYgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1782,166807

[CA-ORIOLE]

If movement of a baseball is described as a left to right or sinking motion caused by seam rotation, air pressure and arm angle, why can't there be upward movement when the ball is delivered straight over the top with extreme velocity?

It's called gravity and there isn't a flat surface on a round ball to cause it to lift. Neither is there enough ability for a person to create enough rotation on a fastball to counteract gravity.

If Chapman was able to hit 105 why couldn't a freak of nature (Dalkowski) have achieved something greater?

Chapman hit 105 one time and I think only 5 or 6 others have hit it over 103. None have done it with any regularity, even the relievers like Chapman.

[csgordos]

When a catcher is used to catching a ball thrown at a certain speed (lets assume less than 95mph) wouldn't the ball typically drop as it goes from the mound to the plate? But if you threw a ball significantly faster and the friction and gravity were not enough to cause the ball to drop, wouldn't it appear as an optical allusion to actually rise? Plus if you actually blinked during that moment of travel and your mind was trained to expect the ball to drop fractionally the idea that it remained on the same plane for longer would probably give the optical allusion that the ball did in fact rise? Muscle memory and hand-eye cordination is something all elite athletes work at for hours so that you don't actually think during the situations, but instead just react. So if you are used to reacting a certain way thousands of time and something changes, then magically I believe a ball could actually rise to the viewer. But what do I know?

[CA-ORIOLE]

When a catcher is used to catching a ball thrown at a certain speed (lets assume less than 95mph) wouldn't the ball typically drop as it goes from the mound to the plate? But if you threw a ball significantly faster and the friction and gravity were not enough to cause the ball to drop, wouldn't it appear as an optical allusion to actually rise? Plus if you actually blinked during that moment of travel and your mind was trained to expect the ball to drop fractionally the idea that it remained on the same plane for longer would probably give the optical allusion that the ball did in fact rise? Muscle memory and hand-eye cordination is something all elite athletes work at for hours so that you don't actually think during the situations, but instead just react. So if you are used to reacting a certain way thousands of time and something changes, then magically I believe a ball could actually rise to the viewer. But what do I know?

Pretty much it as far as I know. If the ball was thrown from a flat surface the effect would be much less. If it's very fast and has good rotation, the forces of gravity will be mitigated but cannot be overcome. I guess if you could throw a ball in a straight line with enough rotation it could actually rise. But that would likely take a machine. I'm not an engineer so maybe somebody more knowledgeable than myself can chime in.

[Hallas]

My guess would be around 100, maybe a couple mph faster. The estimates of 110 or higher aren't believable when not one of the 100s of thousands of pitchers who've been measured by radar ever even approached that. It's like asking us to believe some guy from the 1850s could run a 9.0 in the 100m.

If we lend any credence to extremely intelligent baseball men making subjective observations, he had to have been faster than 100, as plenty of people who saw both pitchers pitch said he was regularly faster than pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, who could pitch into the triple-digits.

105 seems like a reasonable estimate, as it's already been proven that pitchers (well, one pitcher) can throw that hard, and it's enough of a departure from 100 that the purported strikeout totals are feasible.

[oldpro56]

You are absolutely right about throwing something that is round and has a flat surface. The difference is the seams and the effect they have. This is what causes movement. Similar to this is why golf balls have dimples and why there has been a war over the years as to the amount. An absolutely round golf ball would have no movement no matter whatever swing was applied. This is why a knuckle ball is thrown without seam rotation. If there is no rotation, the action of the ball is determined by the low pressure area behind the ball pushing through the air. This is why a knuckle baller wants the wind to be going out rather than in during a game. As far as Chapman and others, this is exactly why Steve is so interesting.

[CA-ORIOLE]

If we lend any credence to extremely intelligent baseball men making subjective observations, he had to have been faster than 100, as plenty of people who saw both pitchers pitch said he was regularly faster than pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, who could pitch into the triple-digits.

105 seems like a reasonable estimate, as it's already been proven that pitchers (well, one pitcher) can throw that hard, and it's enough of a departure from 100 that the purported strikeout totals are feasible.

The high K totals could be from movement and/or deception from his "buggy whip" delivery style. Too bad there don't appear to be an any videos of him pitching. I found this comment from Wikipedia interesting:

Dalkowski's raw speed was aided by his unusual "buggy-whip" pitching motion, which ended in a cross-body arm swing; "I hit my left elbow on my right knee so often, they finally made me a pad to wear," recalled Dalkowski.

Sounds a little like a Walter Johnson delivery.

[CA-ORIOLE]

As far as Chapman and others, this is exactly why Steve is so interesting.

I know you saw him later in his career, but do do you recall his arm slot ?

[oldpro56]

Excellent question about arm slot. Imagine someone who is only 5' 10 coming straight over the top. There is no elongation available. Steve had the appearance of a piston delivering the ball from the shoulder.

[Gurgi]

Wish they had this guy on film so the experts could break down exactly what was going on.

If he had crazy movement and was somewhere more than 100mph and if he had a odd delivery like Koji and could fool hitters into thinking it was even faster than it really was.

Crazy to think of. A peek a boo fastball that was already in excess of 100.

[DrungoHazewood]

If we lend any credence to extremely intelligent baseball men making subjective observations, he had to have been faster than 100, as plenty of people who saw both pitchers pitch said he was regularly faster than pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, who could pitch into the triple-digits.

105 seems like a reasonable estimate, as it's already been proven that pitchers (well, one pitcher) can throw that hard, and it's enough of a departure from 100 that the purported strikeout totals are feasible.

Wish they had this guy on film so the experts could break down exactly what was going on.

If he had crazy movement and was somewhere more than 100mph and if he had a odd delivery like Koji and could fool hitters into thinking it was even faster than it really was.

Crazy to think of. A peek a boo fastball that was already in excess of 100.

I think Gurgi is closer to the truth. Chapman supposedly hit 105 once. Nobody else in the 30+ years of radar guns has done that. And Chapman is a reliever who can throw as hard as he can for 20 or 30 pitches and stop (and he's still broken down). Dalkowski regularly threw 150 or more pitches a game. Probably well over 200 several times a year. He wouldn't just be a physical freak of nature to be under 6' and consistently throw that many pitches well over 100 mph, he'd be an alien mutant.

To me it more than strains credibility to think he really threw 105+ on a regular basis. More likely he threw around 100 with deception, plus movement so crazy he couldn't come close to controlling it.

[Tony-OH]

This is what is fascinating about discussing Steve. All your points have been made many times before. Several responses come to mind. This first is the theory that a curve ball didn't actually curve. I'm old enough to remember an issue of Sports Illustrated in the '50's that used the new high speed multiple exposure camera to show that indeed the could be made to curve. They set up posts at regular intervals between pitcher's mound and home plate. The pitcher threw a curve ball that could be seen in stop action bending around the posts. The other theory debunked many, many years ago using high speed photos was that a race hose never had all four feet off the ground at the same time. If movement of a baseball is described as a left to right or sinking motion caused by seam rotation, air pressure and arm angle, why can't there be upward movement when the ball is delivered straight over the top with extreme velocity? If Chapman was able to hit 105 why couldn't a freak of nature (Dalkowski) have achieved something greater? My year of playing with Steve was 1965 playing for the Tri City Atoms. At this point his arm was shot and his career with the O's was over. I was with him the final night in Lewiston, Id and describe in my book what happened causing Cal Ripken to release him the next day. There is a reason many stories start with THE LEGEND of Steve Dalkowski. I'm very glad to be part of this forum and look forward to other dialogue

Very interesting stuff. Thanks again and welcome to the board. You are a very welcome addition.

[Tony-OH]

I think Gurgi is closer to the truth. Chapman supposedly hit 105 once. Nobody else in the 30+ years of radar guns has done that. And Chapman is a reliever who can throw as hard as he can for 20 or 30 pitches and stop (and he's still broken down). Dalkowski regularly threw 150 or more pitches a game. Probably well over 200 several times a year. He wouldn't just be a physical freak of nature to be under 6' and consistently throw that many pitches well over 100 mph, he'd be an alien mutant.

To me it more than strains credibility to think he really threw 105+ on a regular basis. More likely he threw around 100 with deception, plus movement so crazy he couldn't come close to controlling it.

As with any high end velocity readings, most pitchers don't sit at that range, especially not starters. A good guess is that Dalkowski probably sat 95-100 and touched 105 or maybe a bit higher on occasion. His funky delivery, short stature, and possibly him releasing the ball closer to homeplate (like Koji) may have contributed to him having an already historically fast fastball, look otherworldly fast. There are way too many stories from quality baseball men that describe Dalkowski as being the hardest pitcher they've ever seen for it to just be all legend. I don't think we'll ever know for sure, but the one thing that is certain, Dalkowski's legend remains fascinating.

[oldpro56]

A small portion from my book "Beating About the Bushes"

Considerable effort has been made to find film of Steve throwing but none has been found. Ten years ago I was contacted by a major film documentary company requesting information about Dalkowski. I was someone who knew first person stories, along with others. Their focus was to highlight the effects of alcohol on professional athletes and Dalkowski was going to be their poster child. Nothing came of this because they missed the bigger picture about the person.

Dalkowski’s problems created many opinions and few, except those who knew him intimately, could understand how simple he viewed life. Pro baseball provided him with everything needed since he was a teen growing up in New Britain, Ct. stealing bottles of vodka hiding them in a local park. His goals from this point in life were to get drunk, bed a woman and throw a baseball as hard as he could. When the end of his professional career with Baltimore came it was tragic and I was there for the final hours.

[oldpro56]

Here is the opening segment about Dalkowski from my book, "Beating About the Bushes". This forum has shown a great amount of interest in Steve and his story. I'm glad to be part of this.

WHITE LIGHTNING

My second spring training in Thomasville was nearing an end and I was enjoying the afternoon sun on a bench alone with my thoughts. A cab stopped in the driveway and two people got out. Two very ordinary people holding beer bottles in their hands.

Their trip across twenty yards of grass was like watching sailboats tacking into the wind. The smallest of the two and least likely to be a ball player offered an introduction. “Hi, I’m Dalko and this asshole is Frankie”. I shook hands with the fastest pitcher ever to play professional baseball and gave a wave to Frank Bertaina as he weaved toward the front door.

Palmer and I were equal as to speed, but everyone talked about someone by the name of Dalkowski. Stories told in Thomasville about this person were hard to believe and couldn’t be true, but they were, both on and off the field. Steve started camp this year training in Daytona Beach with Rochester and was sent down late for assignment to a lower league, along with Bertaina.

The duo had taken more than twenty four hours to make a move requiring four. Baltimore ignored their behavior because of the collective talent in their left arms, and at this point it would have been difficult to apply any penalties for their actions.

How could the person standing before me generate speed that is still talked about today? Dalkowski was 5’ 11” and weighed 170 pounds. Many in the game estimated his velocity to be as high as 110 mph and the best testimonial came from Cal Ripken, Sr. since he was Steve’s catcher during the 1958 season in the Carolina League. Rip described his fastball as having so much upward movement, if it started chest high he had to turn and run to the screen because he couldn’t move his mitt fast enough to catch up.

Doubters as to Steve’s speed never faced a small, round object coming towards them in less than half a second from sixty feet. From my own experience, once 90 mph is reached two things happen. There is a high pitched sound produced by the raised seams on the ball cutting through air that is not there at a lower speed. And, if thrown from over the top, there is obvious lift much like that of a golf ball hit from the tee by a PGA professional achieving club head speed greater than the average amateur.

Dalkowski needed a helping hand to find his bed and I guided Steve to accommodations far different than what he was accustomed to at either the big league camp or Daytona. At four in the afternoon I tucked him in and rushed to tell all about Superman who looked more like a choir boy.