- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRobert William Andrew Feller
- Nicknames
- Rapid Robert
- The Heater from Van Meter
- Bullet Bob
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- He made his first major league start in August, striking out 15 St. Louis Browns. A month later, he set an American League rookie record fanning 17 Philadelphia Athletics in a game. Upon completion of his rookie campaign, Feller returned home to Iowa to finish his senior year of high school - his graduation was covered by NBC Radio.
Feller really began to hit his stride after his 19th birthday, rattling off a string of three straight 20-win seasons. It was during this time that Senators' manager Bucky Harris conveyed the following strategy to his players when facing Feller: "Go on up there and hit what you see. If you can't see it, come on back."
Just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Feller put aside his 3-C draft deferment status and enlisted in the US Navy. With this selfless act, he gave up nearly four seasons of baseball in the prime of his career. But Feller had no regrets.
At the conclusion of the war, Feller returned to the game and picked up right where he left off, averaging more than 19 wins a season over the next six years.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- SpousesAnne Morris Gilliland(October 1, 1974 - December 15, 2010) (his death)Virginia Winther(January 16, 1943 - September 26, 1971) (divorced, 3 children)
- Known for his fast pitches
- Number 19 jersey with the Cleveland Indians
- Pitcher for the Americal League's Cleveland Indians, 1936-1941 & 1945-1956.
- Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
- He pitched three no-hitters and twelve one-hitters.
- A pioneer in the self-institutionalization of the athlete, Feller incorporated himself as Ro-Fel, Inc.
- Baseball historians speculate that Feller would have won 350 games with 3,500 strikeouts had he not joined the military.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
