Lies, ****ed Lies and Throwing Speed Claims

This is not an unique situation that only applies to baseball...people exaggerate everyday...they inflate their earnings...their height...and most of all their weight (they deflate that)...in reality the only person that is affected is the inflator themselves...perhaps if they say it enough times they will actually believe it

What makes them do it is the same thing that makes middle-aged guys say they shot a 78 at the golf course when they get a mulligan each side (at least), play out of bounds as a lateral hazard, take gimmees (sometimes w/o counting them), etc. Some people feel better if they say they are good. It's aggravating but lying and exaggerating aren't going away. It does make it frustrating to those who tell the straight up truth, however.

The ironic thing is that no one believes them anyhow - or at least very few.

Most folks won't bother to confront a bragger - they just brush off what they say. And too often the bragger thinks that since no one called them on it, then they must beleive it.

And sadly it is true, that many who tell the truth are not believed for the very reason so many do exaggerate and it is hard to tell sometimes which is which.

Around and round the mulbery bush..

Lefty's dad:

What, the official rules of golf don't give a mulligan each side and "do overs" on short putts?

Golly, who knew............

Lefty's Dad . You hit the nail on the head. It's not going away-it's
human nature to "flower up" your accomplishments or those of your kids.

One thing I've noticed being around baseball parents is that in most cases if your son has actually achieved a modicum of success the less
you brag and if you are not there yet the more you exagerate.

If you are "secure" in yourself, no need to "brag". It also happens a
lot on this site.

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a lower tower that will pierce the clouds.Lay first the foundation of humility.....St Augustine
I have been akin to people who have the tendancy to boast....funny when you turn and walk away because you do not abide by the concept of bragging you are deemed as jealous...funny how this works

If you think velocity is often exagerated, you should hang around football players!

The time in forty is hardly ever accurately portrayed. It's like I ran a 4.8, which is pretty close to 4.7. Months elasped and 4.7 evolves to 4.6, which is close to 4.5. Than the 4.5 turns into 4.45, which is close to 4.4. When people start talking 4.4 that's when the BS meter starts going off loudly.

I worked in professional football as an assistant coach. I have actually heard on occassion HS kids talking about running a 4.3 forty. There are maybe a handful of guys in the NFL that can go below 4.4.

For that matter, what about players hieght! How many players have you seen listed as 6' - 0" that were 5' 9". Funny things is who do they think they are fooling.

That's why they have radar guns, stop watches

Just wanted to add my two cents to micdsguy's comment in the post that started this thread:
"Still, few people appreciate the years of hard training required to throw a baseball really fast."

I would guess that most parents and spectators in the stands don't realize how difficult it is for a young pitcher to throw a baseball 80+ mph (or even in the 70s). This winter both of my sons occasionally threw into a net in the family room, and turned on a radar device near the end of some sessions. One day mom and dad both decided to try a few throws (we had both been ball players long before the days of radar, but hadn't tossed a ball in a lo-o-o-o-ng time). Mom threw about 40. Dad's first throws were 50-something. Both sons wisely threw their hands over their mouths to cover their chuckles!

I've seen lots of players exactly like you've been talking about.... but there's always the exception.

I saw one of those gawky pimply kids who looked scrawney, without a bone on his body ... but he was about 6'2" .. HS junior ... Had a Jugs gun and he was consistently about 87-88....

I just keep my mouth shut. They are:
1) probably pulling all of our legs,
2) sadly they truely believe it themselves
3) or just maybe .............

They can talk all they want--the proof is in the performance--I have learned not to prejudge the player regardless of his physical makeup.

There are plenty of surprises around

Bottom line for the player--don't talk about it--show us on the field

Played long toss with my 120lb, 13yo the other day. I figured that my arm being tired from throwing BP the other day was the reason I wasn't throwing it as far as he was. Walked off the distance and it turned out he was just further than I could throw it.

My velocity dropped down to about 60 mph when I hadn't been throwing at all. Got back up to about 70 mph (max) from throwing with my son and now age is gradually dropping my throwing speed. Maybe I need to start working out with weighted balls?

Wish I threw 85 in any grade!

Our community has a festival once a year and the baseball team has a baseball throw to raise money for the upcoming sesaon. The head coach runs the radar a Bushnell. We draw a line on the sidewalk and then place the net sixty feet away to make it more accurate. We give three throws and 90% of the time they ask if the gun is working. We'll have guys to guess their speed to be anywhere from 75 to 90 mph. And are humbled to find out that they only threw 60 or even 50. We do a couple that do throw around 85. 87 was the highest this past year.

Micdsguy-you need to go back and read the follow up's on JohnnyKid's posts

These players that over inflate their stats are a big joke to their peers. I can not tell you how many times I have heard kids joke and make fun of other kids who regularly inflate their throwing speed. Just yesterday I heard one player at our High School tell another one he must be throwing 101. The kid laughed and said right. The other kid said no I am not kiding I saw you in the bull pen throwing next to Jeff and you were at least 6 mph faster than him and you know he told us yesterday he was clocked at 95 during the PG showcase. I wonder if these bragerts know how many people have a good laugh at their expense.

quote:

The other kid said no I am not kiding I saw you in the bull pen throwing next to Jeff and you were at least 6 mph faster than him and you know he told us yesterday he was clocked at 95 during the PG showcase. I wonder if these bragerts know how many people have a good laugh at their expense.

I've looked at many Perfect Game player bios online. (btw, do those kids know the results are online?)

The fastest I recall seeing for PG events in the past two years is 91 mph.

well it could be worse, I had MLB scouts tell me I underrated a pitchers MPH was 93 mph not 91 mph as I reported. MLB scouts dont mind seeing a player faster they you claim they are

Here are a few of the pitchers we’ve seen this past year above 91 mph.
There have been several others as we did not check our tournament lists, some of those listed below are among the top pitching prospects in the country. There is a very big list of those who we have seen touch 90-91. We have heard many of them have been higher, but we haven't seen it ourselves.

Blair Brejtfus (AZ) 92
Gavin Brooks (CA) 92
Nick Cristiani (NJ) 92
Bradley Clark (FL) 94
Ryan Delaughter (TX) 93
Kyle Drabek (TX) 95
Shane Funk (FL) 92
Sean O’Sullivan (CA) 93
Ryan Tucker (CA) 93
Shawn Garceau (FL) 93
Edgar Garcia (Dom) 93
Brett Jacobson (AZ) 94
Ryan Jenkins (TX) 92
Zach Putnam (MI) 94
Daryl Lewis (FL) 92
Jeff Lyman (CA) 93
Roque Mercedes (Dom) 96
Ryan Mitchell (TX) 92
Matt Olson (VA) 93
Buster Posey (GA) 93
Cory Rasmus (GA) 93
Jake Rasner (NV) 93
Kurt Smith (OH) 92
Justin Upton (VA) 94
Chris Volstad (FL) 92
Travis Wood (AR) 93
Josh Zeid (CT) 93
Josh Wall (LA) 95
Brandon Erbe (MD) 93
Blake Hancock (TX) 92
Thomas Mendoza (FL) 94
Cory Burns (AZ) 92
Gabriel Fargas (PR) 92
Trevor Bell (CA) 92
Eric Massingham (CA) 92
Jeremy Hellickson (IA) 93
Mike Bowden (IL) 93
Miers Quigley (GA) 92

I looked up about 10 of those kids in PGs site search box. In most situations the speed was less than what you just posted.

For example: Zach Putnam is listed twice at your site, at 89 and 90. Not 94.

Bradley Clark shows at 91, not 94

Travis Wood is 91, not 93.

Blake Hancock is listed at 83, not 92.

Perhaps you are looking at new info, not online yet. I've mainly looked at midwest pitchers in the past. I see very few of them on your list.

micdsguy,

I undersnd the confusion. You must understand that we see most of these pitchers several times. You are looking at one specific event.

For example Bradley Clark was 94 in Marietta last summer.

Zach Putnam was 94 at the World Championship in October.

Travis Wood was 93 at the World Championship in October.

Sorry, Blake Hancock was my error. I meant Kyle Hancock who was 92 in Marietta last year.

The best arms we've seen in the midwest belong to Hellickson (IA), Bowden (IL), Broadway (IL), Graffy (IL), Dennehy (IL) and Freie (IA). There's been a few others we've heard of, but haven't seen yet.

Of course that all depends on what people consider the midwest. It has always confused me even though we live here.

It would be fascinating if PG would present online a distribution of statistical results for each year. A chart showing 60 yard times, perhaps by position, would answer the question of "how fast is fast."

Or pitching speeds: How much do height and weight matter? How much improvement is seen from soph to jr to senior?

In time, PG is going to accumulate a huge database of useful and fascinating info unavailable elsewhere at the HS level.

You could attract more traffic to your site, and then to your events, by summarizing the stats you obtain.

Cory Rasmus (GA) 93 is from alabama

micdsguy,

I did change the kid’s first name to protect his identity but this is a true story. I also went on line to see how the kid did at the showcase and he was at about 85 and I am sure that was an anomaly because I don't think he usually gets much above 81 or 82. Point is many kids lie about how fast they throw and when they do everyone knows it and they are usually the brunt of jokes. For some reason though the braggart never gets that instead of gaining the respect they are looking for they really are becoming a laughing stock.

By the way my son who is a LHP throws 78 and that is top speed, game fastball is around 74, see its not that hard to tell the truth.