Though this is certainly a sad week in the world of baseball, we can at least be happy that we had Bob Feller around for as many as 92 years. Feller was one of baseball’s greatest living treasure, and one of the very last from the era of the 1930s.
VIDEO: Bob Feller’s Career, From 17-Year-Old To Record-Breaker
Feller broke into the major leagues in 1936. He was only 17 years old, but wasted no time in making an impact. Our Cleveland Indians blog, Let’s Go Tribe, describes the first start of his career.
Feller made some appearances out of the bullpen, then made his first start against the doormat St. Louis Browns. He struck out the first eight he faced, and finished his complete game with 15 punch outs. Feller was no longer a curiosity; he was a star.
Let’s Go Tribe goes on to note that early in his career, Feller could very well have been throwing 100 miles per hour. However, his career was put on hiatus in 1942. Two days after World War II, Feller joined the Navy. Not because he was required to -- in fact, he was exempt from military service. He volunteered.
Upon his return from the war, his abilities on the field remained as they always were. Here’s Feller in 1946, having his velocity tested by army ordnance equipment.
These videos were first gathered by Let’s Go Tribe, which has plenty of great stories on the Hall of Fame legend. If you’re a fan of Feller, the Indians, or baseball in general, you’ll want to give it a read.
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