Steve Dalkowski
Encyclopedia
Steven Louis "Dalko" Dalkowski (born June 3, 1939 in New Britain, Connecticut
) is a retired left-handed
pitcher
in minor league baseball
. He is sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history
and had a fastball
that probably exceeded 100 mph (160.9 km/h). Some experts believed it went as fast as 125 mph (201.2 km/h), others that his pitches traveled at 120 mph (193.1 km/h) or less. As no radar gun
or other device was available at games to measure the speed of his pitches precisely, the actual top speed of his pitches remains unknown. Regardless of its actual speed, his fastball earned him the nickname "White Lightning". Such was his reputation that despite never reaching the major leagues, and finishing his minor league years in class-B ball, the 1966 Sporting News item about the end of his career was headlined "LIVING LEGEND RELEASED."
Dalkowski was also famous for his unpredictable performance and inability to control his pitches. His alcoholism
and violent behavior off the field caused him problems during his career and after his retirement. After he retired from baseball, he spent many years as an alcoholic, making a meager living as a migrant worker. He recovered in the 1990s, but his alcoholism has left him with dementia
and he has difficulty remembering his life after the mid-1960s.
Screenwriter and film director Ron Shelton
played in the Baltimore Orioles minor league organization soon after Dalkowski. His 1988
film Bull Durham
features a character named "Nuke" LaLoosh (played by Tim Robbins
) who is based loosely on the tales Shelton was told about Dalkowski. Brendan Fraser
's character in the film The Scout is loosely based on him. In 1970, Sports Illustrated
's Pat Jordan wrote, "Inevitably, the stories outgrew the man, until it was no longer possible to distinguish fact from fiction. But, no matter how embellished, one fact always remained: Dalkowski struck out more batters and walked more batters per nine-inning game than any professional pitcher in baseball history."
as a quarterback
for New Britain
High School. During his time with the football team, they won the division championship twice, in 1955 and 1956. However, he excelled the most in baseball, and still holds a Connecticut
state record for striking out
24 batters in a single game.
After graduating from high school in 1957, Dalkowski was immediately signed by the Baltimore Orioles
for a $4,000 bonus, and initially played for their Class D minor league affiliate in Kingsport, Tennessee
. He spent his entire career in the minor leagues, playing in nine different leagues during his nine-year career. His only appearance at the Orioles' Memorial Stadium
was during an exhibition game in 1959, when he struck out the opposing side.
Dalkowski's claim to fame was the high velocity with which he was able to throw his fastball. But Dalkowski also often had extreme difficulty controlling his pitches; many times they would go wild on him—sometimes so wild, they would end up in the stands. Often, he would walk
more batters in a game than he would strike out. Batters found the combination of velocity and the lack of control intimidating. Oriole Paul Blair
stated that "He threw the hardest I ever saw. He was the wildest I ever saw". During a typical season in 1960, while pitching in the California League
, Dalkowski struck out 262 batters and walked 262 in 170 innings
. Dalkowski for 1960 thus figures at both 13.81 K/9IP and 13.81 BB/9IP (see lifetime statistics below). In comparison, Randy Johnson
currently holds the major league record for strikeouts per nine innings in a season with 13.41. In separate games, Dalkowski struck out 21 batters, and walked 21 batters. Because a pitcher is generally considered wild if he averages four walks per nine innings, it is safe to say that a pitcher of average repertoire who consistently walked as many as nine men per nine innings would shortly be out of work. But such was the allure of Dalkowski's explosive arm; the Orioles gave him chance after chance to harness his stuff, knowing that if he ever were able to control it, he'd be unstoppable. 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.
During a game at Kingsport on August 31, 1957, Dalkowski struck out 24 Bluefield
hitters in a single minor league game, yet lost 8–4. He had issued 18 walks, hit four batters
, and threw six wild pitches. Dalkowski pitched a total of 62 innings in 1957, struck out 121 (averaging 18 strikeouts per game), but won only once because he walked 129 and threw 39 wild pitches. Moving on the Northern League in 1958-59, he threw a one-hitter but lost 9-8 on the strength of 17 walks. In 1957-58, Dalkowski either struck out or walked almost three out of every four batters he faced.
During the 1960s under Earl Weaver
, then the manager for the Orioles' double-A affiliate in Elmira, New York
, Dalkowski's game began to show improvement. Weaver had given all of the players an IQ test
and discovered that Dalkowski had a lower than normal IQ. Armed with this knowledge, Weaver believed he understood why Dalkowski had had such difficulty keeping his game under control: he did not have the mental capacity. Weaver kept things simple for Dalkowski, telling him to only throw the fastball and a slider
, and to just aim the fastball down the middle of the plate. This allowed him to concentrate on just throwing the ball for strikes; Weaver knew that not only was his fastball practically unhittable no matter where it was in the strike zone, but that if Dalkowski missed his target, he might just end up throwing it on the corners for a strike anyway. Under Weaver's stewardship, Dalkowski had his best season in 1962, posting personal bests in complete games and ERA, and walking less than a batter an inning for the first time in his career. In an extra-inning game, Dalkowski recorded 27 strikeouts (while walking 16 and throwing 283 pitches).
He was finally invited to major league spring training in 1963, and the Orioles expected to call him up to the majors. On March 23, Dalkowski was used as a relief pitcher during a game against the New York Yankees
. Most sources say that while throwing a slider to Phil Linz
, he felt something pop in his left elbow, which turned out to be a severe muscle strain. Some uncertainty over the cause of his injury exists, however, with other sources contending that he damaged his elbow while throwing to first after fielding a bunt from Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton
. Either way, his arm never fully recovered.
When he returned in 1964, Dalkowski's fastball had dropped to 90 mph (145 km/h), and midway through the season he was released by the Orioles. He played for two more seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates
and Los Angeles Angels
organizations before returning briefly to the Orioles farm system but was unable to regain his form before retiring in 1966.
Dalkowski had a lifetime win
–loss record of 46–80 and an ERA of 5.57 in nine minor league seasons, striking out 1396 and walking 1354 in 995 innings.
faced Dalkowski once in a spring training game and that was enough. "Fastest ever," said Williams. "I never want to face him again." Longtime umpire Doug Harvey
also cited Dalkowski as the fastest pitcher he'd seen: "Nobody could bring it like he could."
Estimates of Dalkowski's top pitching speed abound. Cal Ripken Sr. guessed that he threw up to 115 mi/h. However, that figure is likely an exaggeration. Most observers agree that he routinely threw well over 100 miles an hour (160 km/h), and sometimes reached 105 mph (160–168 km/h). Radar gun
s, which are routinely used today, did not exist when Dalkowski was playing, so the only evidence supporting this level of velocity is anecdotal. It is certain that with his high speed and penchant for throwing wild pitch
es he would have been an intimidating opponent for any batter who faced him. Andy Etchebarren
, a catcher for Dalkowski at Elmira, described his fastball as "light" and fairly easy to catch. According to Etchebarren his wilder pitches usually went high, sometimes low; "Dalkowski would throw a fastball that looked like it was coming in at knee level, only to see it sail past the batter's eyes".
Dalkowski's greatest legacy may be the number of anecdotes (some more believable than others) surrounding his pitching ability. He was said to have thrown a pitch that tore off part of a batter's ear, and some observers believed that this incident made Dalkowski even more nervous and contributed further to his wildness. Another story says that in 1960 at Stockton, California
he threw a pitch that broke umpire
Doug Harvey
's mask in three places, knocking him 18 feet (5 m) back and sending him to a hospital for three days with a concussion
. Dalkowski once won a $5 bet with teammate Herman Starrette who said that he couldn't throw a baseball through a wall. Dalkowski warmed up and then moved 15 feet (5 m) away from the wooden outfield fence. His first pitch went right through the boards. On another bet, Dalkowski threw a ball over a fence 440 feet (134 m) away.
The only recorded evidence of his pitching speed stems from 1958, when Dalkowski was sent by the Orioles to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation. Here, using a radar machine, he was clocked at 93.5 mi/h, a fast but not outstanding speed for a professional pitcher. However, Dalkowski had a number of disadvantages: he'd pitched a game just the day before, he was throwing from a flat surface instead of from a pitcher's mound, and he also had to throw pitches for 40 minutes at a small target before the machine could capture an accurate measurement. Therefore, it is fair to assume that the clocked speed was several miles an hour under his true capacity.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the current record holder is Nolan Ryan
, with a pitch clocked at 100.9 mi/h in 1974, though the record hasn't been updated in many years and several pitchers have been recorded as having thrown faster. Earl Weaver, who had years of exposure to both pitchers, said, "He threw a lot faster than Ryan
." The hardest thrower in baseball is recognized as Aroldis Chapman
, who has been clocked with the fastest pitch on record at 105.1 mi/h.
Scientists contend that the theoretical maximum speed that a pitcher can throw is slightly above 100 mi/h. Beyond that the pitcher would cause himself a serious injury. There is no doubt that a pitcher who can throw at 100 mph+ is rare, with only a small handful of pitchers every generation being capable of this feat.
, but the marriage did not last long and they divorced two years later. Unable to find any gainful employment, he became a migrant worker. Already a heavy drinker during his baseball career, he could not keep his alcoholism from escalating, and he was frequently arrested for drunkenness. He received help from the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America
periodically from 1974 to 1992 and went through rehabilitation
. He was able to find a job and stay sober for several months but soon went back to drinking, and so the organization dropped its support.
Little is known about his life after the 1960s owing to his failing memory, and his failure to keep in contact with his family. What is known is that poor health in the 1980s finally prevented him from working altogether, and by the end of the decade he was living in a small apartment in California
, penniless and suffering from alcohol-induced dementia
. At some point during this time he married again to a motel clerk named Virginia, who moved him to Oklahoma City
in 1993. After her death from a brain aneurysm
in 1994, one of his former catchers, Frank Zupo—-a teammate at Stockton in 1960—-and Dalkowski's sister, Pat Cain, brought him back to his home town of New Britain, Connecticut, and placed him in the care of the Walnut Hill Care Center.
Although he was not expected to live very long, he has endured and is in remarkably good health. In recent times he is managing to stay sober but still suffering from the effects of his years of alcohol abuse. He has difficulty remembering much of his life after 1964; however, he still attends baseball games and spends time with his family. On September 8, 2003 he threw the ceremonial first pitch to relief pitcher Buddy Groom
before an Orioles game against the Seattle Mariners
.
For his contributions to baseball lore, he was inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals on July 19, 2009. Sports Illustrated
's 1970 profile of Dalkowski concluded, "His failure was not one of deficiency, but rather of excess. He was too fast. His ball moved too much. His talent was too superhuman... It mattered only that once, just once, Steve Dalkowski threw a fastball so hard that Ted Williams never even saw it. No one else could claim that."
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
) is a retired left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He is sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history
History of baseball in the United States
The history of baseball in the United States can be traced to the 18th century, when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using improvised equipment...
and had a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that probably exceeded 100 mph (160.9 km/h). Some experts believed it went as fast as 125 mph (201.2 km/h), others that his pitches traveled at 120 mph (193.1 km/h) or less. As no radar gun
Radar gun
A radar speed gun is a small doppler radar unit used to measure the speed of moving objects, including vehicles, pitched baseballs, runners and other moving objects. Radar speed guns may be hand-held, vehicle-mounted or static...
or other device was available at games to measure the speed of his pitches precisely, the actual top speed of his pitches remains unknown. Regardless of its actual speed, his fastball earned him the nickname "White Lightning". Such was his reputation that despite never reaching the major leagues, and finishing his minor league years in class-B ball, the 1966 Sporting News item about the end of his career was headlined "LIVING LEGEND RELEASED."
Dalkowski was also famous for his unpredictable performance and inability to control his pitches. His alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and violent behavior off the field caused him problems during his career and after his retirement. After he retired from baseball, he spent many years as an alcoholic, making a meager living as a migrant worker. He recovered in the 1990s, but his alcoholism has left him with dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
and he has difficulty remembering his life after the mid-1960s.
Screenwriter and film director Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton is a U.S. film director and screenwriter, most notable for making movies about sports.Shelton is an alumnus of Santa Barbara High School and of the University of Arizona and Westmont College...
played in the Baltimore Orioles minor league organization soon after Dalkowski. His 1988
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
film Bull Durham
Bull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
features a character named "Nuke" LaLoosh (played by Tim Robbins
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
) who is based loosely on the tales Shelton was told about Dalkowski. Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
's character in the film The Scout is loosely based on him. In 1970, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Pat Jordan wrote, "Inevitably, the stories outgrew the man, until it was no longer possible to distinguish fact from fiction. But, no matter how embellished, one fact always remained: Dalkowski struck out more batters and walked more batters per nine-inning game than any professional pitcher in baseball history."
Baseball career
Dalkowski began playing baseball in high school, and also played footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for New Britain
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
High School. During his time with the football team, they won the division championship twice, in 1955 and 1956. However, he excelled the most in baseball, and still holds a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state record for striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
24 batters in a single game.
After graduating from high school in 1957, Dalkowski was immediately signed by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for a $4,000 bonus, and initially played for their Class D minor league affiliate in Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
. He spent his entire career in the minor leagues, playing in nine different leagues during his nine-year career. His only appearance at the Orioles' Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
was during an exhibition game in 1959, when he struck out the opposing side.
Dalkowski's claim to fame was the high velocity with which he was able to throw his fastball. But Dalkowski also often had extreme difficulty controlling his pitches; many times they would go wild on him—sometimes so wild, they would end up in the stands. Often, he would walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
more batters in a game than he would strike out. Batters found the combination of velocity and the lack of control intimidating. Oriole Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
stated that "He threw the hardest I ever saw. He was the wildest I ever saw". During a typical season in 1960, while pitching in the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
, Dalkowski struck out 262 batters and walked 262 in 170 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. Dalkowski for 1960 thus figures at both 13.81 K/9IP and 13.81 BB/9IP (see lifetime statistics below). In comparison, Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
currently holds the major league record for strikeouts per nine innings in a season with 13.41. In separate games, Dalkowski struck out 21 batters, and walked 21 batters. Because a pitcher is generally considered wild if he averages four walks per nine innings, it is safe to say that a pitcher of average repertoire who consistently walked as many as nine men per nine innings would shortly be out of work. But such was the allure of Dalkowski's explosive arm; the Orioles gave him chance after chance to harness his stuff, knowing that if he ever were able to control it, he'd be unstoppable. 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.
During a game at Kingsport on August 31, 1957, Dalkowski struck out 24 Bluefield
Bluefield Orioles
The Bluefield Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. Beginning in 2011, Bluefield will be affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The team plays their home games at Bowen Field, a...
hitters in a single minor league game, yet lost 8–4. He had issued 18 walks, hit four batters
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
, and threw six wild pitches. Dalkowski pitched a total of 62 innings in 1957, struck out 121 (averaging 18 strikeouts per game), but won only once because he walked 129 and threw 39 wild pitches. Moving on the Northern League in 1958-59, he threw a one-hitter but lost 9-8 on the strength of 17 walks. In 1957-58, Dalkowski either struck out or walked almost three out of every four batters he faced.
During the 1960s under Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
, then the manager for the Orioles' double-A affiliate in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, Dalkowski's game began to show improvement. Weaver had given all of the players an IQ test
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
and discovered that Dalkowski had a lower than normal IQ. Armed with this knowledge, Weaver believed he understood why Dalkowski had had such difficulty keeping his game under control: he did not have the mental capacity. Weaver kept things simple for Dalkowski, telling him to only throw the fastball and a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, and to just aim the fastball down the middle of the plate. This allowed him to concentrate on just throwing the ball for strikes; Weaver knew that not only was his fastball practically unhittable no matter where it was in the strike zone, but that if Dalkowski missed his target, he might just end up throwing it on the corners for a strike anyway. Under Weaver's stewardship, Dalkowski had his best season in 1962, posting personal bests in complete games and ERA, and walking less than a batter an inning for the first time in his career. In an extra-inning game, Dalkowski recorded 27 strikeouts (while walking 16 and throwing 283 pitches).
He was finally invited to major league spring training in 1963, and the Orioles expected to call him up to the majors. On March 23, Dalkowski was used as a relief pitcher during a game against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Most sources say that while throwing a slider to Phil Linz
Phil Linz
Philip Francis Linz is an American former backup infielder in Major League Baseball. From 1962 through 1968, Linz played for the New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets...
, he felt something pop in his left elbow, which turned out to be a severe muscle strain. Some uncertainty over the cause of his injury exists, however, with other sources contending that he damaged his elbow while throwing to first after fielding a bunt from Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
. Either way, his arm never fully recovered.
When he returned in 1964, Dalkowski's fastball had dropped to 90 mph (145 km/h), and midway through the season he was released by the Orioles. He played for two more seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
organizations before returning briefly to the Orioles farm system but was unable to regain his form before retiring in 1966.
Dalkowski had a lifetime win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
–loss record of 46–80 and an ERA of 5.57 in nine minor league seasons, striking out 1396 and walking 1354 in 995 innings.
Pitching speed
Dalkowski's wildness frightened even the bravest of hitters. Ted WilliamsTed Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
faced Dalkowski once in a spring training game and that was enough. "Fastest ever," said Williams. "I never want to face him again." Longtime umpire Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey (umpire)
Harold Douglas Harvey is a former umpire in Major League Baseball, who worked in the National League from 1962 through 1992. Noted for his authoritative command of baseball rules, he earned the tongue in cheek nickname "God" from players, and was among the last major league umpires who never...
also cited Dalkowski as the fastest pitcher he'd seen: "Nobody could bring it like he could."
Estimates of Dalkowski's top pitching speed abound. Cal Ripken Sr. guessed that he threw up to 115 mi/h. However, that figure is likely an exaggeration. Most observers agree that he routinely threw well over 100 miles an hour (160 km/h), and sometimes reached 105 mph (160–168 km/h). Radar gun
Radar gun
A radar speed gun is a small doppler radar unit used to measure the speed of moving objects, including vehicles, pitched baseballs, runners and other moving objects. Radar speed guns may be hand-held, vehicle-mounted or static...
s, which are routinely used today, did not exist when Dalkowski was playing, so the only evidence supporting this level of velocity is anecdotal. It is certain that with his high speed and penchant for throwing wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es he would have been an intimidating opponent for any batter who faced him. Andy Etchebarren
Andy Etchebarren
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren is an American former Major League Baseball catcher who played for a total of 15 seasons. He played for the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers ....
, a catcher for Dalkowski at Elmira, described his fastball as "light" and fairly easy to catch. According to Etchebarren his wilder pitches usually went high, sometimes low; "Dalkowski would throw a fastball that looked like it was coming in at knee level, only to see it sail past the batter's eyes".
Dalkowski's greatest legacy may be the number of anecdotes (some more believable than others) surrounding his pitching ability. He was said to have thrown a pitch that tore off part of a batter's ear, and some observers believed that this incident made Dalkowski even more nervous and contributed further to his wildness. Another story says that in 1960 at Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
he threw a pitch that broke umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey (umpire)
Harold Douglas Harvey is a former umpire in Major League Baseball, who worked in the National League from 1962 through 1992. Noted for his authoritative command of baseball rules, he earned the tongue in cheek nickname "God" from players, and was among the last major league umpires who never...
's mask in three places, knocking him 18 feet (5 m) back and sending him to a hospital for three days with a concussion
Head injury
Head injury refers to trauma of the head. This may or may not include injury to the brain. However, the terms traumatic brain injury and head injury are often used interchangeably in medical literature....
. Dalkowski once won a $5 bet with teammate Herman Starrette who said that he couldn't throw a baseball through a wall. Dalkowski warmed up and then moved 15 feet (5 m) away from the wooden outfield fence. His first pitch went right through the boards. On another bet, Dalkowski threw a ball over a fence 440 feet (134 m) away.
The only recorded evidence of his pitching speed stems from 1958, when Dalkowski was sent by the Orioles to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation. Here, using a radar machine, he was clocked at 93.5 mi/h, a fast but not outstanding speed for a professional pitcher. However, Dalkowski had a number of disadvantages: he'd pitched a game just the day before, he was throwing from a flat surface instead of from a pitcher's mound, and he also had to throw pitches for 40 minutes at a small target before the machine could capture an accurate measurement. Therefore, it is fair to assume that the clocked speed was several miles an hour under his true capacity.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the current record holder is Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, with a pitch clocked at 100.9 mi/h in 1974, though the record hasn't been updated in many years and several pitchers have been recorded as having thrown faster. Earl Weaver, who had years of exposure to both pitchers, said, "He threw a lot faster than Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
." The hardest thrower in baseball is recognized as Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman
Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz is a Cuban-Andorran Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman bats and throws left-handed. He is listed at 6'4" tall and weighing 195 pounds . He currently holds the record for the fastest recorded pitch speed in Major League Baseball,...
, who has been clocked with the fastest pitch on record at 105.1 mi/h.
Scientists contend that the theoretical maximum speed that a pitcher can throw is slightly above 100 mi/h. Beyond that the pitcher would cause himself a serious injury. There is no doubt that a pitcher who can throw at 100 mph+ is rare, with only a small handful of pitchers every generation being capable of this feat.
Career statistics
| Year | Club | League | Class | Games | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
W | L | ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
| 1957 1957 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California... |
Kingsport Kingsport Mets The Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets.... |
Appalachian Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee... |
D | 15 | 62 | 22 | 129* | 121 | 1 | 8 | 8.13 |
| 1958 1958 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC... |
Knoxville Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season... |
South Atlantic South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
A | 11 | 42 | 17 | 95 | 82 | 1 | 4 | 7.93 |
| Wilson Wilson, North Carolina Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :... |
Carolina Carolina League The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
B | 8 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 12.21 | |
| Aberdeen Aberdeen, South Dakota Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 mi northeast of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census. The American News is the local newspaper... |
Northern Northern League (baseball, 1902-71) This article refers to the original incarnations of the Northern League, which operated between 1902 and 1971. For the more recent league, see Northern League ... |
C | 11 | 62 | 29 | 112 | 121 | 3 | 5 | 6.39 | |
| 1959 1959 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3... |
Aberdeen | Northern | C | 12 | 59 | 30 | 110 | 99 | 4 | 3 | 5.64 |
| Pensacola Pensacola, Florida Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752... |
Alabama-Florida Alabama-Florida League The Alabama–Florida League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1936 through 1939 and 1951 through 1962. In 1940–1941 and from 1946–1950, the absence of clubs based in Florida caused the league to change its name to the Alabama State League.The Class D loop's... |
D | 7 | 25 | 11 | 80 | 43 | 0 | 4 | 12.96 | |
| 1960 1960 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0... |
Stockton Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a baseball team in Stockton, California. The Ports play in the Northern Division of the Class A – Advanced California League and are a Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Their home field is Banner Island Ballpark which seats over 5,000 people and opened in... |
California California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
C | 32 | 170 | 105 | 262* | 262 | 7 | 15* | 5.14 |
| 1961 1961 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds ; Whitey Ford, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 *All-Star Game , July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie... |
Kennewick Kennewick, Washington Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities... |
Northwest Northwest League The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954... |
B | 31 | 103 | 75 | 196* | 150 | 3 | 12 | 8.39 |
| 1962 1962 in baseball The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:... |
Elmira Elmira, New York Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in... |
Eastern Eastern League (U.S. baseball) The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League... |
A | 31 | 160 | 117 | 114 | 192 | 7 | 10 | 3.04 |
| 1963 1963 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: USC... |
Elmira | Eastern | AA | 13 | 29 | 20 | 26 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 2.79 |
| Rochester Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an... |
International International League The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States... |
AAA | 12 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6.00 | |
| 1964 1964 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 7 at Shea Stadium: National League, 7–4; Johnny Callison, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Minnesota... |
Elmira | Eastern | AA | 8 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Stockton | California | A | 20 | 108 | 91 | 62 | 141 | 8 | 4 | 2.83 | |
| Columbus Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio.... |
International | AAA | 3 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 8.25 | |
| 1965 1965 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State... |
Kennewick | Northwest | A | 16 | 84 | 84 | 52 | 62 | 6 | 5 | 5.14 |
| San Jose San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium... |
California | A | 6 | 38 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 4.74 | |
| Total | 236 | 995 | 682 | 1354 | 1396 | 46 | 80 | 5.59 | |||
| * - led league | |||||||||||
Life after baseball
In 1965 he married schoolteacher Linda Moore in BakersfieldBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, but the marriage did not last long and they divorced two years later. Unable to find any gainful employment, he became a migrant worker. Already a heavy drinker during his baseball career, he could not keep his alcoholism from escalating, and he was frequently arrested for drunkenness. He received help from the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America
Association of Professional Ballplayers of America
The Association of Professional Ball Players of America is a United States-based charity set up in 1924 to assist professional baseball players. The organization caters to players from all leagues, including the minor leagues...
periodically from 1974 to 1992 and went through rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
. He was able to find a job and stay sober for several months but soon went back to drinking, and so the organization dropped its support.
Little is known about his life after the 1960s owing to his failing memory, and his failure to keep in contact with his family. What is known is that poor health in the 1980s finally prevented him from working altogether, and by the end of the decade he was living in a small apartment in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, penniless and suffering from alcohol-induced dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
. At some point during this time he married again to a motel clerk named Virginia, who moved him to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
in 1993. After her death from a brain aneurysm
Cerebral aneurysm
A cerebral or brain aneurysm is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.- Signs and symptoms :...
in 1994, one of his former catchers, Frank Zupo—-a teammate at Stockton in 1960—-and Dalkowski's sister, Pat Cain, brought him back to his home town of New Britain, Connecticut, and placed him in the care of the Walnut Hill Care Center.
Although he was not expected to live very long, he has endured and is in remarkably good health. In recent times he is managing to stay sober but still suffering from the effects of his years of alcohol abuse. He has difficulty remembering much of his life after 1964; however, he still attends baseball games and spends time with his family. On September 8, 2003 he threw the ceremonial first pitch to relief pitcher Buddy Groom
Buddy Groom
Wedsel Gary "Buddy" Groom Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed middle relief pitcher. He attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the amateur draft....
before an Orioles game against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
For his contributions to baseball lore, he was inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals on July 19, 2009. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's 1970 profile of Dalkowski concluded, "His failure was not one of deficiency, but rather of excess. He was too fast. His ball moved too much. His talent was too superhuman... It mattered only that once, just once, Steve Dalkowski threw a fastball so hard that Ted Williams never even saw it. No one else could claim that."
Online
- To put his speed in context, see Fastest Pitchers in Baseball at the Baseball Almanac.
- Steve Dalkowski Page
- Sports Hollywood, "Celebrating the Worst in Athletics"
- No Crying in Baseball
- Sports Illustrated, "Where Are They Now?"
- The Birdhouse: The Phenom, an interview with Steve Dalkowski in October 2005
- Vecsey, George. "A Hall of Fame for a Legendary Fastball Pitcher," The New York Times, Sunday, July 19, 2009.
Literary
- Brooks, Ken (1986). That Last Rebel Yell. ISBN 0-9616447-0-2.
- Eisenberg, John (2001). From 33rd Street to Camden Yards: An Oral History of the Baltimore Orioles. ISBN 0-8092-2486-0.
- Jordan, PatPat Jordan (author)Pat Jordan is a leading sports writer with his work included in the Best American Sports Writing anthology series seven times. He is also the acclaimed author of A False Spring, a bittersweet memoir about his minor league baseball career, which is ranked #37 on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports...
(1973). The Suitors of Spring. ISBN 0-396-06711-5.
Personal
- Krieger, Kit: Posting on SABR-L mailing list from 2002. Used with permission. (See talk).
- Beverage, Dick: Secretary-Treasurer for the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America.