Bob Feller | Baseball Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Hall of Fame Feller played for the Cleveland Indians , when he was only 17 years of age! His only team, for 18 years, 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. He pitched three no-hit games (1940, 1946, and 1951) and shares the major league record with 12 one-hitters. 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, along with Jackie Robinson 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 was taught to pitch by his father, an Iowa farmer who built a diamond for his son, and installed a generator and electric lights in his barn for night practice. He was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $ 1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made GM 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. On the opening day of the 1940 season he 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 . When Feller retired in 1956 , he held the dubious 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 Virgina Winther (1916-1981), daughter of a Wisconsin industrialist. They had three sons, Steve (b. 1945), Martin (b. 1947), and Bruce (b.1950). He is still alive lives with his second wife, Anne Feller, in Gates Mills, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Early Life Edit Feller was raised in the small town of Van Meter, Iowa. The son of a farmer, Bob did many arduous chores that made him physically fit. Many attribute his blazing fastball to this. He refers to his time in Iowa very fondly, and currently collects tractors, similar to the ones he used on the farm. Military service Edit On December 8 , 1941 Feller enlisted in the Navy , volunteering immediately for combat service.

He was chief of an anti-aircraft gun crew of the USS Alabama , and missed almost four seasons during his service in World War II (returning in late August 1945), being decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars . 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. Feller's opinions and controversy Edit In Feller's later years, he has been very vocal about his resentment of the idea of Pete Rose , who was banned in 1989 for betting on baseball games while serving as manager for the Cincinnati Reds , being reinstated into Major League Baseball (and Rose's subsequent induction into the Hall of Fame ). Feller went as far as to state that Rose's status as a felon alone should make him unworthy of the Hall of Fame. Feller has also gone on record on saying that he'll never go back to Cooperstown if Pete Rose is ever inducted. (Ironically, he and Ted Williams were once part of a movement to elect Shoeless Joe Jackson to the Hall). “ We don't want anybody who ever gambled on the game to be in this Hall of Fame.

I don't want him and the Hall of Famers don't want him. - Feller on Pete Rose while being interviewed for ESPN in 2004 . ” During spring training for the 2003 baseball season, Feller called Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jim Thome , who began his career with the Cleveland Indians, a "journeyman first baseman. He's no gazelle over there." [1] In 2004 , Feller criticized Major League Baseball for inviting boxing legend Muhammad Ali (because Ali protested over himself being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War ) to throw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game in Houston (ESPN.com, 2004). On August 10 , 2005 , while on a St. Louis radio station, a rambling Feller claimed that Caribbean players "don't know the rules of the game." When asked by host Mike Claiborne , who ultimately accused Feller of being a racist , to provide an example of this, a flustered Feller tried to change the subject and eventually hung up.

Many of Bob Feller's pundits ( Jim Rome among them, who has frequently referred to Feller as "Bitter, Old Bob Feller") have frequently chastised him for his perceived bitterness, cynicism, and general plain-spoken demeanor in his elderly age. Feller has also been criticized by some (including Feller's frequent target Pete Rose) for supposedly charging a substantial fee for his autograph. While being profiled on ESPN Classic 's SportsCentury one of Feller's close friends disclosed Feller's initial cynicism towards hard-throwing pitching phenom Dwight Gooden . Feller also criticized Jim Bouton 's controversial book Ball Four despite allegations that Feller never even read it. Feller's son Stephen designed the Bob Feller Museum, built in 1998 in Van Meter, Iowa . In an interview there in 1998, Feller said he won more games in Chicago than in any other city except Cleveland. But he had one unhappy memory of Chicago. On Mothers Day , 1939 , White Sox third baseman Marv Owen lined one of Feller's pitches into the stands near first base, hitting Feller's mother in the face.

She spent the next two weeks in a Chicago hospital with cuts and bruises, as well as two black eyes. Feller also came under fire by many Brooklyn baseball fans for questionable comments made about Jackie Robinson , who entered the Hall of Fame the same year as Feller. Apparently, when Robinson first came up to Brooklyn , Feller said that if he were white he would not have made the Majors. “ He's tied up in the shoulders and can't hit an inside pitch to save his neck. If he were a white man, I doubt if they would even consider him big league material. ” It should be noted Bob Feller was instrumental in putting together barnstorming games with Satchel Paige's all-stars from 1942 to 1950 during the offseason with black players before the game was integrated. And furthermore was a strong believer in integrating the game, contrary to the misinformed general consensus. In March 2006, Feller said that Barry Bonds should be kept out of the Baseball Hall of Fame. “ He's not going to get the numbers when it comes to Cooperstown.

Those players who have been convicted of using steroids or are caught using them are not going to get the numbers to be elected to the Hall of Fame when they become eligible for that great honor. And I am with them on that. ” 50 Best Baseball Nicknames Ever 50 Best Baseball Nicknames Ever 50 Best Baseball Nicknames Ever By Charlie Miller , 3/7/12, 7:29 AM EST From Ears to Babe, here are our 50 favorite What is it with nicknames and baseball? In high school I played with Doggie, Bird, Soup, Clone, Rooster, T and White Legs. Nicknames and baseball players just seem to go together like bat and ball. For as long as young boys and men have been batting baseballs around, they have given each other descriptive nicknames for facial features, deformed body parts, the way they played the game, hair color and, the most popular, shortening their surnames. In fact, some players with nicknames were given nicknames for their nicknames. Here are the 50 best—and often very politically incorrect—nicknames in baseball history. 50.

Don Mossi Ears (also The Sphinx) Perhaps you had to see Mossi to really appreciate the name. In Ball Four, Jim Bouton said Mossi “looked like a cab going down the street with its doors open.” 49. Ernie Lombardi Schnozz Not to allow Mossi and his ears steal all the thunder, the catcher who was also known as the world’s slowest human had a beak of monumental proportions. But the catcher hit his way into the Hall of Fame. 48. Nick Cullop Tomato Face Cullop spent 23 years in the minors, hit 420 home runs and had 2,670 hits, both minor league records when he retired. 47. Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown Three Finger Known more commonly as Three Finger Brown than by Mordecai, Brown capitalized on losing most of his index finger in a childhood farming accident. Apparently that helped him throw a devastating curveball described by Ty Cobb as the toughest in baseball. 46.

Don Zimmer The Gerbil Despite the success for the Red Sox in the late 1970s, Zim is blamed for the team’s collapse in 1978, ultimately losing a playoff game at Fenway Park (commonly known as the Bucky Dent game). Because of this, lefthander Bill Lee, with whom Zimmer often sparred, gave him the name Gerbil. 45. Bill Lee Spaceman And speaking of Lee, it wasn’t as though he was a mental giant himself. The lefthander’s outrageous, often irreverent personality and his fearless rhetoric earned him the name Spaceman, allegedly, from John Kennedy (the Red Sox utility infielder, not the former President). Just being left-handed in Boston was probably enough. 44. Jim Grant Mudcat Grant, who became one of the most successful African-American pitchers in the 1960s, was the roommate of his boyhood idol Larry Doby when he first came to Cleveland. It was the veteran Doby who dubbed him “Mudcat”, saying that he was “ugly as a Mississippi mudcat.” 43.

Jim Hunter Catfish Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finely often seemed more interested in flashy P.R. than winning baseball games. Evidently, this nickname was a product of the PR-conscious Finley more than any angling the Hall of Fame pitcher might have done in his home state of North Carolina. 42. Randy Johnson Big Unit Okay, get your mind out of the gutter. Former Expos teammate — yes, Johnson was originally a member of the Expos — Tim Raines once collided with him during batting practice, looked up at the 6’10” hurler and proclaimed, “You’re a big unit.” 41. Mark Fidrych The Bird The affable righthander enjoyed talking to the baseball while on the mound and manicuring the mound on his hands and knees between innings. But it was because of his resemblance to Big Bird of Sesame Street fame that Fidrych was given his name. 40. Marc Rzepczynski Scrabble Some surnames scream for nicknames, like Yastrzemski with Yaz, and Mazeroski with Maz. But there are few names that could earn more points in the famous word game than this lefthander’s. 39.

Doug Gwosdz Eye-chart Ancestors of the former catcher of the San Diego Padres must have misspelled this name somewhere down the line. But as astute teammates surmised, his jersey resembled those charts hanging on walls in optometrists’ offices. 38. Johnny Dickshot Ugly First of all, that is his real name. And secondly, he referred to himself as the “ugliest man in baseball.” So, we have no qualms about Dickshot making the list. 37. Luke Appling Old Aches and Pains Dubbed by teammates, it’s unclear whether the name was given in jest. But it is clear that Appling didn’t mind complaining about the physical demands of the job all the way to the Hall of Fame. 36. Roger Bresnahan The Duke of Tralee Nothing really unusual about this name; after all many players were named in honor of their hometowns. Earl Averill was the Duke of Snohomish after his hometown in Washington. But, Bresnahan was from Toledo. For some reason he enjoyed telling folks he was born in Tralee, Ireland. 35.

Bob Feller Rapid Robert Taking the American League by storm as a teenager led to this nickname as well as The Heater from Van Meter (Iowa). 34. Edward Charles Ford The Chairman of the Board Well known as Whitey because of hair color, the lefty dominated the American League for 16 seasons as a member of the Yankees. As a tribute to his calm, cool demeanor in tough situations, he became known as the Chairman of the Board. 33. Leon Allen Goslin Goose Several sources agree on how Goslin acquired his name. Evidently, he waved his arms as he chased fly balls, had a long neck, and was not the most graceful player. 32. Willie Mays Best 50 Quotes about Baseball - Motivational & Inspirational Nowadays, they have more trouble packing hair dryers than baseball equipment. Robert William Andrew Feller (1918-2010, nicknamed “The Heater from Van Meter”, “Bullet Bob”, and “Rapid Robert”, American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in the MLB) Collage of Shutterstock images; Foreground: PhotographyByMK , Background: Todd Taulman Baseball is like a poker game.

Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead. Jackie Robinson (1919-1972; American Major League Baseball second baseman) A pitcher has to look at the hitter as his mortal enemy. Early Wynn (1920-1999; American Major League Baseball pitcher) Friendships are forgotten when the game begins. Alvin Ralph Dark (*1922, nicknamed “Blackie” and “The Swamp Fox”, former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball) Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets. Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra (*1925, American former Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager) Baseball and malaria keep coming back. Gene William Mauch (1925-2005, American professional baseball player and manager) You can shake a dozen glove men out of a tree, but the bat separates the men from the boys. Dale Long (1926-1991; American Major League Baseball first baseman) Baseball is like driving, it’s the one who gets home safely that counts.

Tommy Lasorda (*1927; American former Major League Baseball pitcher and manager) Everything looks nicer when you win. The girls are prettier. Bob Feller, Baseball player • Biography & Facts Bob Feller Baseball player Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians. Feller pitched from 1936 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1956, interrupted only by a four-year sojourn in the Navy. In a career spanning 570 games, Feller pitched 3,827 innings and posted a win–loss record of 266–162, with 279 complete games, 44 shutouts, and a 3.25 earned run average (ERA).A prodigy who bypassed the minor leagues, Feller first played for the Indians at the age of 17.

His career was interrupted by four years of military service in World War II, during which time he served as Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Alabama. Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21. During his career, he threw no-hitters in 1940, 1946, and 1951. Feller also recorded 12 one-hitters (his no-hitters and one-hitters were records at the time of his retirement). He helped the Indians win a World Series title in 1948 and an American League-record 111 wins and the pennant in 1954. Feller led the American League in wins six times and in strikeouts seven times. In 1946, he recorded 348 strikeouts, a total not exceeded for 19 years. An eight-time All-Star, Feller was ranked 36th on Sporting News '​s list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was named the publication's "greatest pitcher of his time".

He was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.Baseball Hall of Fame member Ted Williams called Feller "the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw during my career." Hall of Famer Stan Musial believed he was "probably the greatest pitcher of our era." He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 on his first ballot appearance; at the time only three players ever had a higher percentage of ballot votes. He was elected the inaugural President of the Major League Baseball Players' Association and participated in exhibition games which featured players from both the Major and Negro Leagues. Feller died at the age of 92 in 2010.

Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller (1918 - 2010) - Genealogy Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller Birthdate: Nov 3 1918 - Adel, Iowa Death: Dec 15 2010 - Cleveland, Ohio Parents: Nov 3 1918 - Van Meter Death: Cause of death: Leukemia - Dec 15 2010 - Cleveland Wife: Anne Morris Gilliland, Virginia Winther Children: Bruce Feller, Steven Feller, Martin Feller Residence: Nov 3 1918 - Van Meter, Dallas, Iowa, USA Death: William Andrew Feller, Helena"lena" Caroline Feller (born Forret) Sibling: Nov 3 1918 - Van Meter, Dallas, Iowa, United States Death: Dec 15 2010 - Cleveland City, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States Parents: William A Feller, Helena Caroline Forrett Wife: 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 (A record at the time, later Broken by Nolan Ryan) by the U.S. Army, 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 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 12 one-hitters. 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). 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. 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 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. Museum In 1995, the Bob Feller Museum opened in Van Meter, Iowa. 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. Final months In August 2010, Feller was treated for leukemia.[18] 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. Highlights Prior to his death, he 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. 8-time All-Star (1938–41, 1946–48, 1950) Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1962 Only Chief Petty Officer in United States Navy history to be elected to a major sports Hall Of Fame. In 1999, he ranked Number 36 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

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? McCook Gazette: Column: Walt Sehnert: The heater from Van Meter The heater from Van Meter Monday, January 31, 2011 Walt Sehnert Growing up in the 1930s, one of my first sports heroes was Cleveland Indians pitcher, Bob Feller -- AKA Rapid Robert, Bullet Bob, The Schoolboy Phenom, The Heater from Van Meter. The Omaha World Herald was making a strong effort to cover the news in Western Iowa, where Van Meter is located -- so we got constant updates on the progress of Van Meter's favorite son, who was making a big splash in baseball, with Cleveland in the American League. We looked forward to the occasional Cleveland weekend games that were carried on the radio. Bob Feller, who died recently, at the age of 92, was born in Van Meter, Iowa, in 1918. His father was a farmer and his mother was a registered nurse/teacher.

His father was a stern taskmaster, who insisted on Bob's doing his share of the chores at the farm. (Feller later claimed that he owed his arm strength to milking cows, picking corn by hand, and heaving bales of hay). The elder Feller also was a sports fan who played catch with young Bob at every spare moment, and even carved out a ball field on his farm for amateur games. (Bob's sister, also an athlete, was once the Iowa ping pong champion.) Bob was the star pitcher on his high school baseball team. He was still just 16 years old when he signed a major league contract with the Cleveland Indians. His initial contract called for a salary of $675 and a signing bonus of $1 plus an autographed baseball. He bypassed the minor leagues and immediately began pitching for the Indians, becoming the youngest player (at 17) ever to pitch in a major league game, compiling a 5-3 record in '36. In his first game as a starter he beat the St. Louis Browns 4-1, striking out 15, which was two shy of the major league record at the time.

Things only got better for Feller in the years leading up to World War II. In 1938 he set an A.L. record of 18 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers -- broken by Nolan Ryan (19) in 1974. Feller's signature pitch was his fast ball, clocked at 104 mph against a speeding motorcycle. That blazing fast ball was a thing to be feared, especially in his early years when his control was suspect. His 208 walks, in 1938, is still a Cleveland record. By the end of the 1941 season, Bob Feller had already earned 109 wins, and was an established star for the Cleveland Indians. But when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, Feller never hesitated. He enlisted in the Navy the first thing Monday morning, the 8th -- the first major leaguer to go into the service after Pearl Harbor. Feller volunteered for combat duty right away and spent the war aboard the USS Alabama as a Gunnery Captain -- missing four of his prime baseball seasons. He was decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars.

Following World War II, Feller resumed his place as the Indians' star pitcher, joining a pitching rotation that included fellow Hall of Famers Early Wynn and Bob Lemon. 1946, his first full year back in baseball, was perhaps Feller's finest season. That year, he pitched a remarkable 371 innings in 48 games, winning 26 while losing 15, with a ERA of 2.18. He pitched 36 complete games that year, with 10 shutouts. (In 2010 the entire Indians' staff had 10 complete games and four shutouts). He probably had his best game ever that season when he pitched a no hitter against the Yankees, pitching to a lineup that included Hall of Famers, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, and Phil Rizzuto, and hard hitters, Tommy Henrich and Charley Keller. Over a career that spanned from 1936 through 1956, all with the Cleveland Indians, Feller posted some eye-popping statistics.

He pitched three no-hit games -- in 1940 (on opening day vs White Sox), 1948 vs Yankees, 1951 vs Detroit Tigers; he was first pitcher to strike out his age in batters (17 at age 17); first to win 20 games before he was 21. He achieved 266 career victories, with 6 years of 20 or more wins. He led the AL in victories six times. He was an All-Star eight times (1938, 39, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48, 50). He was a member of the Indians' pitching rotation, with Lemon and Wynn, when Cleveland won the 1948 World Series, though Feller lost the two games the started in that series. Baseball historian Thomas Kope recalls seeing Feller pitch twice in 1946 at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. "He was spectacular." Kope goes on to say that he believes Feller would have won another hundred games and possibly 4 or 5 more no-hitters had he not gone to World War II.

"He used his overpowering fastball as a set-up to strike out batters. He struck them out on a hard curve that seemed to drop off the end of the table." Feller said that the toughest batter he faced was Ted Williams, the last of the .400 hitters, who "got to me more often than I like to recall." (a .245 average vs. Feller) Ted Williams said that for days before playing against Feller that was all he ever thought about -- "I thought about meeting him night and day. How will I hit him?" During the off season, in Feller's day, most players took jobs to supplement their baseball income. Feller took a different activity in the off season. He launched barn-storming tours, using other major league players to play exhibition games around the country, often playing against All-Stars from the Negro League. In those days of segregated baseball, the games proved popular and profitable for Feller and the players. Through these games he became a good friend of Satchel Paige, the great African American pitcher. These tours led to an annual Black and White All-Star game, between major league white players playing All Stars from the Negro League.

Many attribute this as a major step in the integration of black players into major league baseball. Feller lobbied hard for the Indians' management to sign Paige to a contract, which they did in 1948, just in time for Paige to help in the Indians' march to the World Series. Even though Feller is often credited with bringing integration to baseball, he is just as often accused of being a racist. This seems to come from his penchant to speak his mind, regardless of the political correctness of his statements. He was often critical of players, black and white. He was outspoken in his condemnation of Pete Rose for his gambling on Cincinnati Reds' games, and Barry Bonds for drug abuse. He said that modern players were spoiled, didn't work hard enough, and were overpaid. He received much criticism over his statement that "if Jackie Robinson were white he never would have been drafted," and he believed that another black player should have been the one to integrate baseball. Feller and Robinson both were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. In retirement, Feller ran a successful insurance business in Cleveland, but he never was far away from baseball. For some time, he served as a pitching coach for the Indians.

He was a fixture, in uniform, at spring training, and very often a spokesman for the organization at promotional events. Tourists, sometimes half his age, enjoyed being struck out by Feller and his fastball (a shadow of the pitch that earned him fame and fortune). He often threw the ceremonial first pitch on opening day, and regularly took part in the "Oldtimers'" game. Feller remained unusually fit for his age even into his 90s, and was active in Indians baseball and the work at his farm until almost the end of his life. He was diagnosed with leukemia in August, 2010 and died in December. Upon hearing of Feller's death, Bud Selig, Commissioner of Baseball, beautifully summed up Feller's life, "Bob served his country nearly four years during the prime of his career. He was a great pitcher, but he was first and foremost, a great American." Source: Yahoo! Sports, Baseball reference.com, Thomas Kope correspondence

Question: ‘The Heater from Van Meter’ was the nickname of which American Major League Baseball pitcher?
Answer: Bob Feller