Bob Feller

Sorry to hear about Bob Feller, thanks for the heads up ClevelandDad. Thoughts and prayers.

May he rest in peace. Quite a life at 92 years of age.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe...veland_will_nev.html

Thanks for posting floridafan.

I am overcome with emotion right now

quote:

He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.

We will not see the likes of Bob Feller again, striking out out seventeen to tie the Major League record as a seventeen year old, one of the top pitchers in baseball by age twenty, genuine war hero, comes back from the war to set a single season strikeout record, pitches into the mid 1950's for a team that won 111 games in one season. Won 266 games despite missing more than 3 1/2 years due to the Navy service. RIP Rapid Robert. One more thing about Bob Feller. After his rookie season, he had a chance to be a free agent which was extremely rare at the time due to some shanagins by the Indians who had signed him while still in high school. Supposedly, teams were willing to pay as much as $100,000 which was a massive fortune in 1936. His dad and he told the commissioner that they had a hand shake agreement with Cleveland and they had treated him well so they did not want to go through free agency. They told him they believed in making your money AFTER you did a job. That's what kind of man he was and why you probably won't see his likes again.

quote:

Originally posted by Three Bagger:
We will not see the likes of Bob Feller again, striking out out seventeen to tie the Major League record as a seventeen year old, one of the top pitchers in baseball by age twenty, genuine war hero, comes back from the war to set a single season strikeout record, pitches into the mid 1950's for a team that won 111 games in one season. Won 266 games despite missing more than 3 1/2 years due to the Navy service. RIP Rapid Robert. One more thing about Bob Feller. After his rookie season, he had a chance to be a free agent which was extremely rare at the time due to some shanagins by the Indians who had signed him while still in high school. Supposedly, teams were willing to pay as much as $100,000 which was a massive fortune in 1936. His dad and he told the commissioner that they had a hand shake agreement with Cleveland and they had treated him well so they did not want to go through free agency. They told him they believed in making your money AFTER you did a job. That's what kind of man he was and why you probably won't see his likes again.

threebagger as always thank you for your input. One thing to relate about Feller from a personal perspective:

- Most of us on here are parents dreaming the dream... sacrificing, hoping and working towards same. Feller was once asked what he credited as the greatest reason for his success. He said "my father". He never doubted I was going to be a big leaguer he said and instilled a faith in Bob he could realize the dream. I see Feller's life as a tribute to all the moms and dads on here.

a fine man........a baseball hero....a true hall of famer....a patriot and veteran....

what a stat line that is....

well done.....well done...

Nice Post 3bagger thank you.

I met Bob Feller 20 years ago at our annual hot stove dinner fundraiser. Mr. Feller was our featured guest and we sold over 600 tickets, our largest night ever. He spent about six hours meeting people, signing autographs and helping us raise money for our summer baseball program in one of New Jersey's urban centers. I know he is a baseball immortal, but what I took away from that night was the pride he had in serving his country. He missed four prime baseball years, but after listening to him, I believe he would have sacrificed his entire baseball career if his nation needed him to serve in the military. If you have followed Mr. Feller at all, you've seen the picture of him being sworn in - no soldier ever stood with more pride.

Simply a great life. God Bless him.

I just heard this morning that when a writer asked him why he enlisted in the Navy Mr. Feller got iritated and said that any red blooded American male would do the same thing.

After his rookie year he went back and finished high school. WOW.

He sounds like one great human being. RIP!

Bob Feller had over 100 wins before age 23... the same age Stephen Strasburg appeared in his first major league game. You could find him at Spring Training, Chain O' Lakes Park in Winterhaven, Florida or at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on almost any scheduled game day. Passionate, inspirational, legendary, opinionated, controversial, and so approachable. What was his character like? He insisted on a $20,000 pay cut after posting a 15-14 won loss record. He credited his success to his father's influence. He was in my opinion the greatest RHP ever....period no disrespect to Johnson, Young, et al. I can hear him bouncing a baseball off the walls of heaven or see him taking up a game of catch with his dad right now.

How hard did he throw?

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Originally posted by floridafan:
How hard did he throw?

the famous motorcycle test came up with a speed of 104MPH.

Keep in mind that Feller was always quick to say Walter Johnson was faster... based on multiple reports of those who had seen them both.

When talking about his father in his interview with Bob Costas, Feller said "My father never had a vacation over 45 years, and he loved his son, he gave me time, not money. Built a ball diamond, pitched batting practice, hit grounders to me, caught me and drove me around as a kid. I played 4 years of American Legion baseball."

That is what America used to be, and some of us still try to have it that way. Very special man.

Backstop, That is what America still is. Just about everyone on this website does the same things for their sons. Except we need the vacation time to take them to Marietta and Jupiter these days.

Our family would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of a great human being. He is now in his own Field of Dreams somewhere up there.

quote:

Originally posted by fillsfan:
Backstop, That is what America still is. Just about everyone on this website does the same things for their sons. Except we need the vacation time to take them to Marietta and Jupiter these days.

I agree fillsfan except I haven't had a vacation yet to go to Marietta and Jupiter.

Never saw him play, but always admired him as a player, person and patriot!

He was to Cleveland what Stan Musial is to St Louis.

Stan just turned 90.

It's a shame players like Mr. Feller don't get talked about more today...for the younger guys to know better. By all accounts Mr. Feller was a 100% class act. That was some staff he was a part of...3 hall of famers.

Interesting to hear Feller quoted in Ken Burns "Baseball" saying Jackie Robinson wouldn't make it, because Jackie was too muscle bound to be a good hitter.

Some outstanding writing here in the following article... a father and a son along with a mother who had high standards for her son...

One last trip home to Iowa, with Bob Feller

Check this quote from the article:

quote:

"We started out as Catholic, but the priest told my father not to play baseball with me on Sundays. So we became Methodists."

If that does not make you smile, then you don't like baseball

A great video of Bob Feller:

http://video.nytimes.com/video...word-bob-feller.html

Thanks for sharing CD. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing about that generation.

The other quote that made me laugh was:

"My mother was a teacher and a nurse. She wanted me to go to college. I was a C-student, but a good speller. I guess I would have ended up being another **** lawyer."

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Originally posted by bothsportsdad:

quote:

Originally posted by floridafan:
How hard did he throw?

the famous motorcycle test came up with a speed of 104MPH.

Keep in mind that Feller was always quick to say Walter Johnson was faster... based on multiple reports of those who had seen them both.

I think I heard when they tested him with the military gun it got him at 98 or 99 when the pitch crossed the plate. I have heard you're supposed to add 5-7 mph's for out of hand speed.

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One more Bob Feller story:

In 1936, Vic Raschi was a promising teenage pitcher who was attracting some attention. The Cleveland Indians invited the young man who would become a Yankee star in the late 1940's and early 1950's to throw at their home stadium on the sidelines so that they could see what he had. Raschi said that he started throwing to an Indian's catcher and after throwing a while, really started cutting loose.

About that time a young pitcher who looked to be about his age, seventeen, started warming up beside him. He had a big flashy windup and started throwing hard. Each pitch was thrown harder than the next. Raschi said that after awhile the pitches the other kid was throwing were just exploding with the smack only the best fastballs can make. Raschi couldn't take his eyes off the other guy between pitches. He finished throwing and was totally dejected. He realized then how far he was from the Major Leagues when a kid his age could throw like that. Of course he didn't know until later that he was warming up beside the seventeen year old Bob Feller, the only true baseball prodigy.