Bob Feller

Bob Feller
Bob Feller
	Feller with the Cleveland Indians, c. 1953
	Pitcher
	Born: November 3, 1918; Van Meter, Iowa, U.S.
	Died: December 15, 2010 (aged 92); Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
	July 19, 1936, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
	September 30, 1956, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	266–162
Earned run average	3.25
Strikeouts	2,581
	Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
	Cleveland Indians (1936–1941, 1945–1956);
Career highlights and awards
	8× All-Star (1938–1941, 1946–1948, 1950); World Series champion (1948); Triple Crown (1940); 6× AL wins leader (1939–1941, 1946–1947, 1951); AL ERA leader (1940); 7× MLB strikeout leader (1938–1941, 1946–1948); Pitched three no-hitters (1940, 1946, 1951); Cleveland Guardians No. 19 retired; Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame;
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1962
Vote	93.8% (first ballot)
Allegiance
Military career
	40 mm gun captain during World War II
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	Chief Petty Officer
Unit	USS Alabama
Battles / wars	World War II Atlantic War; Pacific War; ;
Spouse(s)	Virginia Winther (m. 1943; div. 1971); Anne Thorpe (m. 1974);

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 between 1936 and 1956. 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). His career 2,581 strikeouts were third all-time upon his retirement.

A prodigy who bypassed baseball's minor leagues, Feller made his debut with the Indians at the age of 17. His career was interrupted by four years of military service (1942–1945) as a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer aboard USS Alabama during World War II. Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21. He threw no-hitters in 1940, 1946, and 1951, and 12 one-hitters, both records at 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, the most since 1904 and then believed to be a record.

An eight-time All-Star, Feller was ranked 36th on Sporting News's 1999 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."^[1] Hall of Famer Stan Musial believed he was "probably the greatest pitcher of our era."^[1] He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 in his first year of eligibility, with the then fourth highest percentage of votes. He 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. Feller died at the age of 92 in 2010.

^ ^a ^b Feeney, Mark (December 16, 2010). "Bob Feller, 92, Hall of Famer had blazing fastball". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 27, 2012.

[Globe-1] Feeney, Mark (December 16, 2010). "Bob Feller, 92, Hall of Famer had blazing fastball". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 27, 2012.

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