Bob Feller

For other people nicknamed "Bullet Bob", see Bullet Bob.

Bob Feller
Pitcher
Born: November 3, 1918(1918-11-03) Van Meter, Iowa
Died: December 15, 2010(2010-12-15) (aged 92) Cleveland, Ohio
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 19, 1936 for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 1956 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics
Win–loss record	266–162
Earned run average	3.25
Strikeouts	2,581
Teams
Cleveland Indians (1936–1941, 1945–1956)
Career highlights and awards
8× All-Star (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950) World Series champion (1948) 1951 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year Cleveland Indians #19 retired
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1962
Vote	93.8% (first ballot)

Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter," "Bullet Bob," and "Rapid Robert," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

One of the best right-handed pitchers in baseball history, Feller was a prodigy who entered the major leagues when he was 17. Feller played for the Cleveland Indians from 1936 to 1956, his career interrupted by four years of military service during World War II. He became the first pitcher to win at least twenty games in a season before the age of 21, threw three no-hitters and twelve one-hitters (both records at the time of his retirement), led the American League in strikeouts in seven seasons, and pitched 279 complete games. Feller was renowned for his fastball, which was officially clocked at 98 miles per hour by the U.S. Army (A record at the time, later bettered by Nolan Ryan), although it is commonly believed that he could throw much harder than that. Ted Williams called Feller "the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw during my career", and Stan Musial believed he was "probably the greatest pitcher of our era."

Early life

Feller was born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa. His father ran the family farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and a teacher. Feller credited his arm strength and ball speed to milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay. He recalled his childhood fondly: "What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds." The family's farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Feller's father built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named "Oak View Park," then recruited his son and others to play for a team he named The Oakviews.

Feller attended Van Meter High School, and was a starting pitcher for their team. His sister Marguerite played for the girls' basketball team, and was the Iowa state ping-pong champion.

Professional career

Bob Feller's number 19 was retired by the Cleveland Indians in 1957.

Feller was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made General Manager of the Indians, Slapnicka transferred Feller's contract from Fargo-Moorhead to New Orleans to the majors without the pitcher so much as visiting either farm club, in clear violation of baseball rules. After a three-month investigation, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis made it clear that he did not believe what Slapnicka or Cleveland president Alva Bradley said but awarded Feller to the Indians anyway, partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father, who wanted Bob to play for Cleveland.

Feller joined the Cleveland Indians without having played in the minors. He spent his entire career of 18 years with the Indians, being one of "The Big Four" Indians pitching rotation in the 1950s, along with Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia. He ended his career with 266 victories and 2,581 strikeouts and led the American League in strikeouts seven times and bases on balls four times. His fastball was nicknamed "the Van Meter Heater." He pitched three no-hit games and shares the Major League record (with Nolan Ryan) for one-hitters with 12. Feller was the first pitcher to win 20 or more games before the age of 21. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. When he was 17 years of age, he struck out 17 batters; he and Kerry Wood are the only two players ever to strike out their age (Wood struck out 20 on May 6, 1998).

Feller in about 1953.

On October 2, 1938, Feller set a modern major league record of 18 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. On Opening Day in the 1940 season, Feller pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, with the help of a diving play on the final out by second baseman, Ray Mack. This is the only no-hitter to be thrown on Opening Day in major league history.

When asked whether he threw harder than any other pitcher ever, Feller responded that, at the end of his career, players who had batted against him and also against Nolan Ryan had said Feller threw harder than Ryan.^{[citation needed]} If that was the case, Feller threw over 102 mph. There is footage of Feller being clocked by army ordnance equipment (used to measure artillery shell velocity) and hitting 98.6. However, this took place in the later years of his career, and the machine used, like most of the machines at the time, measured the speed of the ball as it crossed the plate whereas now the speed is measured as it leaves the pitcher's hand. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He also threw the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at 107.6 mph, in a game in 1946 at Griffith Stadium.

When Feller retired in 1956, he held the major league record for most walks in a career (1,764). He still holds the 20th century record for most walks in a season (208 in 1938).

In 1943, Feller married Virginia Winther (1916–1981), daughter of a Wisconsin industrialist. They had three sons, Steve (b. 1945), Martin (b. 1947), and Bruce (b.1950). In retirement, he lived with his wife, Anne Feller, in Gates Mills, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. In 2010, he threw out the first pitch at the Indians' first home spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.

Military service

Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller
In the U.S. Navy during WWII
Born	November 3, 1918(1918-11-03) Van Meter, Iowa
Died	December 15, 2010(2010-12-15) (aged 92) Cleveland, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1941-1945
Rank	Chief Petty Officer
Unit	USS Alabama
Battles/wars	World War II Pacific War
Other work	Baseball player

On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama, and missed four seasons during his service in World War II, being decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars. His bunk is marked on the Alabama at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. Feller is the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Subsequent career

One year after his return to Major League action, in 1946, he registered an incredible 348 strikeouts while pitching in 48 games, starting 42 of those games. That year Feller was 26-15 with an ERA of 2.18 while pitching 36 complete games. He led the American League in strikeouts seven times and had 200 or more strikeouts five times. Feller pitched in 570 games during his career, and pitched in 40 or more games six seasons. Feller also threw three no-hit games including the only opening day no-hitter in baseball history in 1940. He had 46 shutouts during his career with 10 of those in 1946. Many baseball historians have speculated that Feller would have won perhaps 350 games with well over 3,000 strikeouts had he not joined the military. He was honored as "The greatest pitcher of his time" by the Sporting News.

Barnstorming

Throughout his career, Feller criss-crossed the country playing exhibition games in the off-season, showcasing his legendary fastball for fans in large, medium and small towns. His barnstorming tours often featured other big leaguers and/or Negro League stars, like Satchel Paige.

In 1947, Feller announced that he would pitch in the Cuban winter league during the off-season, but major league baseball commissioner Happy Chandler ruled that no major leaguer could play in Cuba during the winter.

Feller's barnstorming business savvy made him one of the wealthiest players of his time. As a result, Feller did not have to take off-season jobs to make ends meet, like many players of his era did, which allowed Feller to become a physical fitness pioneer. While other players waited until spring training to get in shape, Feller had the time to do push-ups, sit-ups, calisthenics and stretching, following a rigorous regimen.

In June 2009, at the age of 90, Feller was one of the starting pitchers at the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, which replaces the Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown, New York.

Final months

In August 2010, Feller was treated for leukemia. In October, Feller was fitted with a pacemaker and was diagnosed with pneumonia and thrush, an infection of the mucus membrane lining the mouth and throat. By December 8, he had been transferred from the Cleveland Clinic to hospice care.

On December 15, Feller died of complications from leukemia.

Museum

Wall sculpture on the Bob Feller Museum

The Bob Feller Museum opened in Van Meter, Iowa, on June 10, 1995. Designed by Feller's son Stephen, an architect, on land donated by Brenton Banks, the museum has two rooms that contain Feller memorabilia and items from his own collection.

Highlights

• Prior to his death, Feller was the longest tenured living Hall of Famer—that title now belongs to Stan Musial
• Winningest pitcher in Cleveland Indians history (266 victories)
• Led league in wins six times (1939–41, 1946–47, 1951)
• Led league in ERA (1940)
• Led league in strikeouts seven times (1938–41, 1946–48)
• Pitched three no-hitters, including the only Opening Day no-hitter.
• Only Chief Petty Officer in United States Navy history to be elected to a major sports Hall Of Fame.
• Was a part of an Abbot and Costello routine that preceded Who's on First. What Feller. Feller with the Cleveland Indians. There are nine Fellers on the Cleveland Team. Now which Feller are you talking about?

Honors and awards

• 8-time All-Star (1938–41, 1946–48, 1950)
• Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
• In 1999, Feller was ranked Number 36 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.
• Also in 1999, he was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
• In 2010, the "Cleveland Indians Man of the Year Award" was re-named the "Bob Feller Man of the Year Award".

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• Triple Crown
• List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
• Major League Baseball titles leaders
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
• DHL Hometown Heroes

References

• Feller, Bob (2007). Hello, Slider!. Mascot Books. ISBN 1932888888. 
• Feller, Bob; Bill Gilbert (2002). Now Pitching, Bob Feller. Citadel Press. pp. 232. ISBN 9780806523620. 
• Feller, Bob; Burton Rocks (2001). Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 160. ISBN 9780809298433. 
• Kalb, Elliott (2005). Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball?. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 416. ISBN 9780071445382. 
• Sickels, John (2004). Bob Feller: ace of the greatest generation. Potomac Books, Inc.. pp. 336. ISBN 9781574884418. 
• "For Feller, Navy was easy decision", interviewed by Mary Buckheit on ESPN Page 2

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Bob Feller at the Baseball Hall of Fame
• The Bob Feller Museum
• Bob Feller at Find a Grave

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lefty Gomez Hal Newhouser	American League Strikeout Champion 1938-1941 1946-1948	Succeeded by Hughson & Newsom Virgil Trucks
Preceded by Red Ruffing Hal Newhouser Bob Lemon	American League Wins Champion 1939-1941 1946-1947 (1946 with Hal Newhouser) 1951	Succeeded by Tex Hughson Hal Newhouser Bobby Shantz
Preceded by Lefty Grove	American League Pitching Triple Crown 1940	Succeeded by Hal Newhouser
Preceded by Lefty Grove	American League ERA Champion 1940	Succeeded by Thornton Lee
Preceded by Monte Pearson Ed Head Cliff Chambers	No-hitter pitcher April 16, 1940 April 30, 1946 July 1, 1951	Succeeded by Tex Carleton Ewell Blackwell Allie Reynolds