68 Facts About Bob Feller

Bob Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21.

Bob Feller threw no-hitters in 1940,1946, and 1951, and 12 one-hitters, both records at his retirement.

Bob Feller helped the Indians win a World Series title in 1948 and an American League-record 111 wins and the pennant in 1954.

Bob Feller led the American League in wins six times and in strikeouts seven times.

An eight-time All-Star, Bob Feller was ranked 36th on Sporting Newss 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was named the publication's "greatest pitcher of his time".

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Bob Feller was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Bob Feller was elected the inaugural President of the Major League Baseball Players' Association and both organized and participated in barnstorm exhibition games which featured players from both the Major and Negro leagues.

Bob Feller played primarily as a shortstop or outfielder, emulating Rogers Hornsby's batting stance.

Student at Van Meter High School, Bob Feller was a starting pitcher for the school's baseball team.

Bob Feller was the starting center for the high school basketball team.

In 1936, Bob Feller was signed by Cy Slapnicka, a scout for the Indians, for one dollar and an autographed baseball.

Bob Feller's fastball was fast and fuzzy; it didn't go in a straight line; it would wiggle and shoot around.

Bob Feller was planning to add Feller, along with outfielder Tommy Henrich, to the major league roster after a few exhibition and semi-pro games, without either playing for a farm club.

Bob Feller elected to remain with the Indians but Henrich joined the New York Yankees.

Bob Feller joined the Indians and made his Major League debut on July 19,1936, in a relief appearance against the Washington Senators.

Indians manager Steve O'Neill had Denny Galehouse warmed up in the bullpen in case the 17-year-old Bob Feller had early troubles, but he struck out all three batters he faced in the first inning, and recorded 15 strikeouts in earning his first career win.

Bob Feller's fame reached such a level that when he returned to Van Meter for his senior year of high school, the governor of Iowa greeted him.

On October 2,1938, Bob Feller was the starting pitcher of a season-ending double-header against the Detroit Tigers.

Bob Feller tied the record when he struck out Detroit's Pete Fox and, when he struck out Chet Laabs for the fifth time that day, broke the record, to set the modern major league record of 18.

In 1939, Bob Feller received his first career Opening Day start, against the Tigers, after a match against the Browns was rained out.

On Mother's Day, Bob Feller pitched against the Chicago White Sox with his family in attendance.

Bob Feller was assisted by Indians second baseman Ray Mack when he made a diving play to record the final out.

Bob Feller's throw was calculated at the time to have reached 98.

Bob Feller again led the majors in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and walks for the 1941 season.

Bob Feller heard about the bombing while returning from a visit to his terminally ill father at Des Moines to Chicago where he was to sign a new Indians contract.

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Bob Feller attended basic training at Norfolk Naval Base and served as a physical fitness instructor there.

Shortly before Bob Feller left for combat, his father died of brain cancer in early January 1943.

Bob Feller participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea before his combat duty ended in January 1945; he spent the rest of the war at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station as an instructor.

Bob Feller was decorated with six campaign ribbons and eight battle stars while serving on missions in both the Pacific and North Atlantic, and was made an honorary member of the Green Berets later in life.

Bob Feller recorded his second career no-hitter on April 30,1946, against the New York Yankees.

Bob Feller's tally proved the highest for 62 years, until passed by Sandy Koufax's then record 382 in 1966.

Bob Feller began 1947 by setting up a barnstorming tour, pitting his own selected team against a Negro league baseball team led by Satchel Paige.

Bob Feller's team included Stan Musial and Phil Rizzuto, while Paige's included Buck O'Neil and Hilton Smith.

Bob Feller ended the season as the AL leader in wins and shutouts, and led the majors in strikeouts and innings pitched.

In 1948, the Indians had one of their finest seasons, though Bob Feller experienced a season that had a considerable number of downs as well as ups.

Bob Feller was selected to represent the AL All-Stars for the seventh time in his career in the 1948 All-Star Game, but declined to play, feeling that his performance did not warrant selection as an All-Star.

Bob Feller started Game One of the 1948 World Series against the NL-champion Boston Braves.

Bob Feller finished having allowed eight hits and seven earned runs.

On July 1,1951, Bob Feller recorded his third career no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers.

Bob Feller was the third pitcher, after Larry Corcoran and Cy Young, to record three career no-hitters.

Bob Feller became the first pitcher of the 1951 season to reach 20 wins after he pitched a shutout against the Washington Senators on August 21.

Bob Feller improved the following year, winning 10 games and losing 7 in 25 starts after Lopez gave him extra days of rest between appearances.

Bob Feller worked with National League representative Robin Roberts throughout the off-season, discussing the possibility of player arbitration and pensions with baseball owners; he then became president of the Major League Baseball Players' Association.

Bob Feller spent his entire career of 18 seasons with the Indians, being one of "The Big Four" in the Indians' pitching rotation in the 1950s, along with Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia.

Bob Feller ended his career with 266 wins, 2,581 strikeouts and 279 complete games.

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In 1962, Bob Feller was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, along with Jackie Robinson.

Bob Feller's exhibition tours often featured other big leaguers and Negro league players, like Satchel Paige, who was a teammate of Feller's with the Indians.

Bob Feller told a reporter in Los Angeles that he believed Robinson was too muscle-bound to succeed against pitching in the major leagues, although Robinson recorded two hits off Feller.

Bob Feller wrote to Chandler, challenging the league's limit on the number of games that were allowed to be played and proposing an increase; the Commissioner agreed to Bob Feller's proposal.

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

Bob Feller said he would donate his profits from playing in the Cuban winter league to the American Major League players' pension fund: "I want to prove I'm not going to Cuba for any selfish interest but because there is a principle involved and that is the right of any ball player to work at his chosen profession".

Bob Feller believed it was "grossly unfair" that major leaguers who were US citizens could not play in winter leagues but Latin Americans were permitted.

Bob Feller was trying to make up lost earnings as a result, since he missed out on $125,000 or more in salary when he served in the Navy; he missed more than three major league seasons.

Bob Feller, who averaged over 25 wins for the three seasons preceding his military service and won 26 his first year out, estimated that the nearly four years he missed while in the US Navy cost him at least 100 career wins.

Bob Feller is credited with throwing the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at 107.

Bob Feller was elected the inaugural president of the Major League Baseball Players' Association in 1956.

Bob Feller was the first player to get a franchise to agree to a share of game receipts when he was the starting pitcher for Indians' games.

Bob Feller was one of the first players to work for the right of a player to enter free agency.

In retirement, Bob Feller lived with his second wife, Anne Bob Feller, in Gates Mills, a suburb of Cleveland.

Bob Feller is credited with being the first baseball star to sign autographs at baseball memorabilia conventions, and was such a frequent guest at such events that one ESPN writer speculated that he had signed more autographs than any other person.

In 1990, Bob Feller received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.

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

Bob Feller Museum opened in Feller's birthplace, Van Meter, Iowa, on June 10,1995.

The Bob Feller bat used by Babe Ruth when he made his last public appearance at Yankee Stadium is at the museum.

Bob Feller said a teammate had stolen the bat and eventually it was purchased by the Upper Deck sports card company for $107,000.

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Bob Feller later offered the company $95,000 in return for the bat.

In 2015, with family approval, the Bob Feller Museum was donated to the city of Van Meter for use as the city hall.

In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award was created to honor the life of Feller.