Somewhere between 0.35 and 0.39 seconds. That's how much time it takes an Aroldis Chapman fastball to reach home plate. Meanwhile, it takes the average human eye between 0.30 and 0.40 seconds to complete a blink.
In short, if you blink, you might miss a Chapman pitch — literally.
Then again, the pitch could be an 89 mph slider, which will change its flight pattern just before that brief time elapses. Or it could be Chapman's changeup, which might blow the mind altogether.
Not to worry, though. There is 0.35 to 0.39 seconds to figure it out.
"Everyone is all excited about it, but we've already seen it," Cincinnati Reds teammate Jonny Gomes said. "We saw it in spring training. The most important thing I can tell you is, we're happy he's on our team."
The Guinness Book of World Records still recognizes a Nolan Ryan fastball, clocked at 100.9 mph in 1974, as the fastest pitch on record. Since that time, major league stadium radar guns have recorded pitches by Joel Zumaya and Mark Wohlers traveling at 104 and 103 mph, respectively. Because Guinness did not certify the speeds, they are not recognized in its book of world records.
Last week, pitching for the Reds' Class AAA affiliate in Louisville, Ky., Chapman threw a pitch that registered 105 mph on the radar. A few days later — perhaps not surprising — the Reds promoted Chapman to the parent club, touching off "Chapmania." The 22-year-old Cuban rocket launcher made his major league debut Tuesday night in Cincinnati.
Chapman's first pitch was a 98 mph strike. Then came the slider, then 100, then 102. He mowed down three Brewers on eight pitches, four of them topping 100, each of them evoking wild cheers. The next night, he was at it again and so was the crowd. He retired the side on 11 pitches, seven of them exceeding 99 mph, two slightly under 104, all sending electrity bolts through a standing audience .
Track and field has Usain Bolt. The Reds have a Cuban bolt of lightning.
"When I'm pitching and I hear the crowd make a lot of noise, I know something has happened," Chapman said, through an interpreter. "I know a good pitch was thrown and a good speed was on the pitch. I don't pay too much attention to the radar gun. I do a little, but not too much."
If that's the case, the slender Chapman, who had never even seen a major league game until earlier this year, might be the only person in baseball who isn't reading radar.
"It's ridiculous," said Reds reliever Francisco Cordero. "And he's not even pushing to throw 100. It's natural."
Chapman defected from the Cuban national team during a tournament in Holland in July 2009. After establishing residency in Europe, he signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the Reds last Feburary.
The deal was comparable to the package Washington gave pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the top pick in the 2009 amateur draft. The expenditure was unusual for the mid-market Reds, but the risk was calculated. Seven other teams were auditioning Chapman, who had never heard of Albert Pujols before defecting.
"We have to take some bold moves from time to time to try to improve this franchise," general manager Walt Jocketty said at the time of the signing. "We felt this was a very significant move."
A boxer during his childhood, the 6-foot-4 Chapman took up baseball and was playing first base for his city team one day when they ran out of pitchers. He took the mound that day and hasn't left it since. Asked if he might be in the big leagues as a first baseman, Chapman said with a smile, "Not a chance."
Thus far, the big leagues are no big deal. In two appearances, Chapman has pitched two scoreless innings, picked up his first big-league win and been completely unaffected by his surroundings.
"I know it is important to keep doing what we're doing," said Chapman, whom the Reds project as a starter. "I don't know too much about (pennant races), but I know the importance of what I'm doing right now, of where I am and what we're trying to do. I still have to learn more about it, but I know a little."
When you have taken the mound knowing your family's next meal might be riding on it, a major league penannt race is tame stuff. Chapman was a standout in the 2007 Pan American Games for Cuba. He dominated at the 2007 Baseball World Cup, in which the Cubans finished second. Chapman fanned nine in seven innings to beat South Korea, then struck out 11 in a semifinal win over Japan.
In December 2008, he set a record for the fastest pitch in Cuban history when he reached 102 mph on a radar gun. He then pitched for the Cuban national team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. During that time, his teammates would come to his hotel room before games and plead with him to perform at his best so they would not be sent home.
"When I first made the national team in Cuba, and I was named the guy for Cuba, I went through a lot of pressure," said Chapman, who left his entire family behind when he defected, including a baby girl. "My whole country was watching me and there was a lot of pressure. After that, everything else is just simple."
Upon signing his Reds contract, Chapman purchased a Mercedes and acquired a license plate that read "102" in honor of his record in Cuba. Who would have thought, less than a year later, it would be inaccurate by three digits? He needs to edit the plate to "105."
"I kind of liked the (license plate) idea, but now I've got a problem," Chapman said, with a laugh.
Actually, it's major league hitters who have a problem. If the Reds' Cuban import continues to throw with the location and control he has demonstrated, as Jocketty put it, "The sky is the limit." Chapman spent the majority of the summer in the minor leagues, soldifying his still-young pitching mechanics, harnessing and complementing that velocity.
He was 9-6 with eight saves and a 3.57 ERA for Louisville. He struck out 125 and walked 52 in 95 2/3 innings, while throwing 14 wild pitches. For Reds manager Dusty Baker, the velocity Chapman throws with is compelling, but not as important as the location. "I remember when I was a kid hearing about Bob Feller throwing 100 and I thought that was about the most amazing thing I'd ever heard," Baker said. "I mean, 100! Wow!
"Then (as a player) I faced some guys who threw hard, guys like Nolan Ryan, J.R. Richard, Dick Selma. But it's about location, as well as velocity. The main thing is to show people you can throw strikes. His breaking ball has been excellent, and that's what he's been working on.
"If you throw as hard as he does, and you've got good location, and you're throwing a breaking ball … you're going to get guys to swing at things they wouldn't normally swing at. They don't have time to make up their mind."
About 0.35 to 0.39 seconds, to be exact.
