Hall Of Fame Hurler Bob Feller, 1918-2010
Entry posted by LewaLew
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The hype around young Nationals prospect Steven Strasburg has occasionally been compared to the hype that now-legendary Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller would have received if he was coming up in this day and age when the press knows everything about a prospect years before he reaches the majors.
Feller was more than just a fantastic pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the Tribe of Chief Wahoo, but he also was a patriot who enlisted in the United States Navy the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor early in his career, putting his nation before his baseball career, which gave him the unusual position of being the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Feller grew up as a farm boy in Iowa whose father built a baseball field for him, where Feller learned the skills that would make him one of the greatest pitchers of all time. What Feller did on the mound was even more impressive when you realize that he pitched in the era when complete games were what was expected of a starting pitcher. His stats were impressive, even without the years he spent in the Navy, although he played baseball then with his fellow sailors, and considered the ballgames he played in the Navy more fun than any he had played in the Major Leagues, and considered the time he spent serving his country more valuable than any that he spent dominating the world of baseball.
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