Baseball lost one of it’s greatest players, and greatest ambassadors of the game, this week when Bob Feller passed away at the age of 92. Feller joined the Cleveland Indians in 1936 at the age of 17, and pitched for 18 seasons with the Tribe, anchoring one of the sport’s greatest starting pitching rotations ever. Feller was the ace of the staff the last time Cleveland won a World Series, in 1948. He was also part of the team’s outstanding staff of 1954, when the Indians won 111 games, along with Early Wynn, Bob Lemon and Mike Garcia. Feller pitched 3 career no-hitters, including the only no-no to be pitched on opening day, in 1940. “Rapid Robert” was known for his legendary fastball, and is probably the greatest Cleveland Indian player of all time. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1962, and is always in the conversation when the greatest pitchers of all time are considered.
Feller was also a solid member of what is now referred to as “The Greatest Generation”, the generation that fought in World War II. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Navy and immediately volunteered for combat duty. He missed four seasons of baseball while serving during the war, and earned 5 campaign ribbons and 8 Battle Stars. He is the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Feller wound up with 266 career wins, the most in Indians’ team history, and easily would have gotten 300 wins (the measuring stick for greatness among pitchers) had he not lost all that time to military service.
After his retirement from the game, Feller was a tremendous ambassador for baseball, and was frequently seen at games in Cleveland, often throwing out the first pitch. In fact, he threw out the first pitch at the Tribe’s spring training opener in Goodyear, Arizona this past season. He was also a popular interview among local media, and was very opinionated about the game.