The Greatest Arm Ever (an opinion)

[glasspoet]

There are a lot of outfielders known for their great arms and throws: from Tris Speaker to Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Willy Mays, Mickey Mantle, Carl Yaztremski, Willie Stargell, Dwight Evans, Dave Winfield, Dave Parker, Jesse Barfield, Larry Walker, Ichiro Suzuki.

Statistics are skewed because runners quit running on these outfielders. It is generally accepted that Roberto Clemente had the greatest arm ever. It's hard to argue that if you have ever seen film where he unleashed his cannon!

However, I was always taught the greatest arm of them all belonged to Rocky Colavito. And I believe it and here is the story why:

I saw him in an old-timers game playing left field, I think he was in his mid-70's then. Some recently retired player hit the ball what seemed a home run but fell before and rested at the base of the wall. Rocky could hardly trot by then and it took him a while to get there. By that time the player was rounding third in a simulation of a run (more like gallop). Rocky finally picked that ball up with his back to the plate and turned and fired a literal bullet to the catcher and the runner, seemingly impossible, was out easy.

I remember them interviewing him and asking how he could do that, and his answer was "gosh, it was only 350 feet".

Who made the best throw you ever saw??

[rooster69]

FRANK LOWE FROM RIGHT FIELD HE THREW ONE NOT ONLY FROM THE FENCE BUT OVER THE HEAD OF THE THRID BASEMAN AND INTO THE CORN FIELD WE FIGURED ABOUT A 455 FOOT THROW WOW

[glasspoet]

Well I would have like to see that throw, must have been something (if just a LITTLE wild!)! So, Rooster, lol, now tell us just who the heck is Frank Lowe?!

[rooster69]

JUST A GUY I PLAYED MAJOR SOFT-BALL WITH WE TRAVELED THE US FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS PLAYING AND DIDNT LOSE TO MANY GAMES AT ALL,JUST THOUGHT I WOULD THROW THAT THROW IN THOU CAUSE IT WAS A DANDY.LOL

[glasspoet]

I admit its not quite the same, but I saw Mike Schmidt unload many a missile into the stands--sometimes MANY rows deep!

I saw Josh Hamilton throw out a tagged up runner at third from DEEP left centerfield. I saw Ankiel throw to home from deep dead center. I once saw Raul Mondesi take a jump to cut off a high bounced line drive on the run, and before he came down he threw a bullet to 2nd across his body to gun out a runner that looked safe easy. I saw Ichiro make some nice throws. But there is nothing in baseball prettier than film showing Clemente wind up on the run and shoot a perfectly bounced laser beam to third to get a runner who was seemingly already in safely.

[mrbmg]

Best arms I ever saw were Clemente, Mondesi, Ichiro, and Ellis Valentine had a great arm for the Expos and he made a few great throws for the Mets too.

[rooster69]

WELL BEST ARM EVER WITHOUT A DOUBT WAS RICK ANKIEL,A FEW AMAZING THROWS THAT JUST FLAT OUT MADE YOU GO HOW IN THE HELL DID HE GET THAT BALL IN RIGHT CENTER TURN ON A DIME AND TAKE ABOUT A STEP AND A HALF AND UNLOAD ONWE OF THE MOST HEAT SINKING MISSILES YOU HAVE EVER SEEN WOW THAT BOY COULD THROW JUST NOT FROM THE MOUND.LOL