Pitching Mound History

The pitcher's mound is the small oval area in the center of a baseball infield where the pitcher stands and the ball is thrown from. The mound provides a small competitive advantage for pitchers throwing down at great speeds to batters at home plate. The mound has undergone great change since the introduction of the game in the 1800s, and the changes have had a large effect on offensive and pitching trends.

  1. Early History

    • In the beginning of baseball, the mound was a small flat area 45 feet from home plate. Pitchers were allowed to take up to a few steps before delivering the ball.

    1890s

    • The mound was transformed in the 1890s to a 6-foot box and expanded to 60 feet from the plate. The box did not yet feature any distinguishable pitcher's "rubber."

    Early 1900s

    • As rules became more standardized, Major League Baseball introduced the elevated mound with the 24-inch by 6-inch rubber. The mounds were established at a height of 15 inches above the playing field.

    1968

    • The game evolved into a pitcher's game by 1968, when pitching was at an all-time high and offense at an all-time low. Bob Gibson led the league in 1968 with an earned-run average of 1.12, using the 15 inches over the hitters to intimidate with height and speed.

    1969

    • Baseball made one of the most important changes in its history when it combated the 1968 drought in offense by lowering the mound to 10 inches.

    Standardization

    • The 10-inch height was made standard at all levels. The 10-inch height is to be 10 inches over home plate, not over the grass.