In a game captivated by numbers, those displayed by the radar gun have long been among the most fascinating. There’s just something transfixing about seeing a pitcher fire a horsehide sphere with ever-increasing velocity, hearing the way it pops the catcher’s mitt, laughing as the hapless batter swings in futility at that which he cannot see. Except that’s not really the case any longer.
Sure, we’re seeing more and more guys who can throw the ball harder than ever, and the average fastball velocity in Major League Baseball has been steadily increasing. But as with any significant change, there’s bound to be an adjustment to bring things back to the mean.