baseballpapa,
You guys are probably right about the average, I just know we have more data. I'd bet the farm (I don't own) on it. Granted many of those gun readings include the highest level pitchers.
There are many instances where pitchers can not maintain their velocity for more than an inning or two. Then there are a few who will throw the last pitch of a game at their top velocity or near it.
Sure you know this but scouts frame out a pitchers velocity. They will record a range, ie. 84-86 and a top of 87. No one averages out every single pitch that I know of and comes up with a number like 84.8. If the 84-86 turns into 81-83 in the 3rd inning, that is recorded, also, but no average for every pitch is determined. Not by us anyway!
Our people are instructed to record a pitchers average in a frame ie. 84-86, followed by his top reading if above 86, followed by the number of times the top speed was reached. On paper it might look like this… 84-87 top 88 2X
We have recorded more gun readings than anyone in baseball. Nothing to brag about, but true because we see so many players. Hardly ever do we see a top velocity 3 or 4 mph higher than the high end of what we block him out. Usually it is 1 mph higher, once in a great while 2 mph.
I hear what you’re saying, 86-89 top 90 2X could be looked at as top velocity is 4 mph over 86, or 3 mph over 87 or 2 mph over 88. I tend to look at as 1 mph over the high end of his frame. In Jupiter last fall, Rasmus topped out at 97 2X, he pitched at 93-96. He had a lot more 96s than he had 93s or 94s. I have no idea what all his pitches averaged out. I doubt if any scout who was there could tell you his exact average per pitch. The information recorded was enough.
I’ve finally figured out the differences in this discussion has more to do with how we look at averages rather than the average itself. If that makes any sense?
Shepster, your apology is accepted of course. Probably what got me the most was the mention that we are not working in the trenches. As you would say "gotta find em".
Well we don't have tryouts so we gotta find em!
Nearly every high school game could be considered the trenches and we’re trying to cover the entire country. Also, got under my skin when you mentioned the high level events being those having 80-81 mph average. Glad "Bum" did the math on a few of those events. I apologize for being so touchy.