MovieChat Forums > Rookie of the Year (1993) Discussion > Henry's fastball ... 103mph is not compl...

Henry's fastball ... 103mph is not completely unhittable


Now before I get started, I realize that it is just a movie. So this may seem somewhat nitpicky. But as a guy who used to pitch and as a long time fan of the game, I wanted to get something off my chest. They should have had the radar guns read higher than 101-103 mph on Henry's fastball. While a 103 mph fastball is extremly fast, there are guys in the majors that have thrown that hard that get hit.

Even if a pitcher throwing 101-103mph managed to completely blow the ball by the first few guys in the lineup, eventually they would catch up to his fastball and get the timing down. Especially if he is never throwing any off speed pitches to try and offset the hitters. Or at the very least, the hitters would eventually get some wood on the ball.

In order to be fast enough to where hitters could not even make contact, a guy would have to be throwing way harder than 103 mph. I was always suprised by the somewhat low rating on the radar gun when Henry was being clocked because of the fact that he could make a powerful bee-line throw from the bleachers to home plate. Anyone who could do that, would definately be throwing harder than 103mph from 60 feet 6 inches.


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even though i love this movie, i also love nitpicking it to death. There are other scratch your head moments. For example, why is that Chet Steadman doesn't know he's pitching the big game until the day of? Does Sal Martinella want to lose this game? Shouldn't he have told him earlier?

Plus, how is it possible that Rowengartner is able to go back and play Little League Baseball after playing professionally? That's like LaBron James deciding to go and play college basketball.

Anyway, Please check out my 15-year retrospective on where Henry Rowengartner is today. I think you'll find it funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcjGb7_fQV0


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His throw from the outfield bleachers was clocked at 103 MPH within the last 60 ft 6 inches of its flight. I wish I remember my high school physics to estimate how fast the throw was for the first 60 ft.

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Well, of course it's not unhittable. Heddo hit it didn't he?

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True, it is hittable, although they pointed this out in the movie, it depends on the location of the ball. Fastballs are very hitable, but if it were on the edge of the strike zone, it is more difficult to hit it.

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No, 103 is not unhittable, but it is deceptive when the plane of the ball is now about a foot or so below what those hitters would see from an adult. They know it is a fast ball, but are expecting it to be at THEIR chest or belly height, not their knees.

Plus in the last scene. If "the big guy" would have just stood there, he would have walked. Not to mention that I think an underhanded throw from an underhanded windup is a balk.

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they dont always show the radar gun so he very well might throw harder on average.

the OP said that guys would figure him out and adjust as he went through the lineup but isnt he a closer?

and nobody throws over 100 on average for a full season. a couple years ago joel zumaya and a another detroit tiger were topping 103 on the radar gun but its widely believed that FOX was fudging the numbers shown on tv to boost ratings and create a buzz.

finally, its not like nobody makes any contact with his pitches. the guy strikes out one guy in his first two games. mostly after that you just see clips of him striking out people like a highlight reel. i dont think you are supposed to believe that he strikes everyone out. thats just a misinterpretation on the viewers part

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I agree . 103 is hard , but not so hard. They should have made him throw 110 or something to drill the impossibility of his performance

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