 Due to Feller 's pitching speed , Lew Fonseca was commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner to pit Feller 's fastball against a Harley @-@ Davidson motorcycle in a speed trial . The test was conducted in Chicago 's Lincoln Park and required Feller to hit a target 12 inches ( 300 mm ) in diameter , 60 feet 6 inches ( 18 @.@ 44 m ) away . The motorcycle passed Feller going 86 miles per hour ( 138 km / h ) and with a 10 foot ( 3 @.@ 0 m ) head start but the ball beat the bike to the target by three feet ( 0 @.@ 91 m ) . Feller 's throw was calculated at the time to have reached 98 @.@ 6 mph ( 158 @.@ 7 km / h ) , and later 104 mph ( 167 km / h ) using updated measuring methods . 
