75-year-old Louisville man hoping to set pitching Guinness World Record

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Patrick O'Bryan's competitive baseball career seemingly ended after his freshman season at St. Xavier High School. But it was revived nine years ago when he joined the Kentuckiana Adult Baseball age 50-and-over league.

"I love to pitch," said O'Bryan. "I'm competitive and I just wanted to see if I could do it."

O'Bryan is still doing it at age 75 as a player/manager for the Blue Jays, playing some third base and outfield and yes, pitching.

75-year-old pitcher hoping to set a record — Patrick O'Bryan still going strong in a local baseball league and is now setting his sights on a Guinness World Record for a great cause.

"You put me on a pitcher's mound, I am at home," said O'Bryan. "I have a fastball, a slider, curveball and a changeup."

And apparently an arm that doesn't tire.

"It's a blessing from the Lord," O'Bryan claims. "I have a lot of nicknames. They call me 'old man.' They call me 'hey you.' They call me 'rubber arm.' They call me 'the freak.'"

"He keeps the ball in here," said catcher Mike Bodine waving his glove around the strike zone. "So he's easy on a catcher. "He'll want to take a lap during practice or something and he'll say 'Guys, do you want to take a lap with me' and we'll say 'Are you crazy?'"

And now the ultimate test for his arm and overall endurance. O'Bryan has gotten approval to attempt a Guinness World Record for most pitches thrown off a mound from 60 feet 6 inches in an eight hour period.

The current record was set three years ago by Southern Indiana native Matt Graf.

"Two thousand six hundred and thirty three pitches," said O'Bryan. "How on earth do you do that? How do you do that at 75 years old?"

Excellent question.

O'Bryan's quest will also be a fundraiser for the First Baptist Church of Fairdale. He's waiting until December 3rd because that's his 76th birthday and to allow more time to raise money.

"The church has a food pantry and they literally feed around a thousand people a week at their church," said O'Bryan. "Dare to Care delivers the food and they distribute it and they really need a building bad. I want to raise $100,000."

To break the record, O'Bryan will have to average about 330 pitches per hour.

"I think if I'm ready and I train properly all year long which I do anyway, I just might do it," he said.