GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It's been 43 years since Nolan Ryan became the first person recorded to throw a 100 mile per hour pitch, though Hall of Famers like Walter Johnson and Bob Feller may have done so before radar gun technology began to give accurate readings of baseballs whizzing at triple digit speeds across home plate.
Throwing 100 is more common now than ever, with 31 pitchers hitting that storied mark in 2016 (White Sox right-hander Nate Jones is among that group). But that's still only a tiny fraction of the 736 pitchers who threw at least one inning in the majors last year.