OT: RIP Bob Feller

[fiamme red]

Of all his amazing career stats, I find this fact most amazing:

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/12/bob_feller_details_on_his_clev.html

•Jan. 21, 1947: Feller signs for “more than $80,000.”
•Jan. 18, 1950: Feller suggests salary cut of $20,000 after going 15-14 in 1949. Indians accept.

Also in the article:

In his 1969 book, "My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life," (Ted) Williams wrote:

"I always said Bob Feller was the greatest pitcher I saw. Pearl Harbor hit on Sunday and on Tuesday morning Feller went down and signed up and he was in the service four full years at the very heart of his career."

[StellaBlue]

An even greater patriot than a player. If that's possible.

[drewski]

1+ Feller was right up there with Patrick Tillman. Awesome!!!

[johnnymossville]

In my baseball ignorance, I never heard of him until this morning, reading his obituary in the paper. What an amazing talent.

[jeo99]

The original 100+MPH thrower! One of the greats of all time.

:beer:

[Scott Shire]

I met Bob in the late eighties. An amazing man truly from a different era. The stories! Can you imagine today's fireballers giving up 4 years in their prime to serve their country?

Anyway, we met at a spring training game; he showed up to the Indians' camp every year well into the 90s iirc. Some of the guys were ribbing him about throwing a couple pitches. He good-naturedly turned the offer down, but the prodding persisted. A few minutes later, he was throwing a 91 mph ball with GOOD movement. In street clothes. He had to be 70.

So RIP to an Iowa farmboy who found what he was supposed to do in this world.

[flickwet]

Round here he is and always will be the most respected professional athlete/man to have ever been paid to play a game, and to think our own Cliff Lee's been in the news lately, lucky Phillies, seems that an awful lot of great ball players pass through here on their way to somewheres else these days

[ti_boi]

I met Bob in the late eighties. An amazing man truly from a different era. The stories! Can you imagine today's fireballers giving up 4 years in their prime to serve their country?

Anyway, we met at a spring training game; he showed up to the Indians' camp every year well into the 90s iirc. Some of the guys were ribbing him about throwing a couple pitches. He good-naturedly turned the offer down, but the prodding persisted. A few minutes later, he was throwing a 91 mph ball with GOOD movement. In street clothes. He had to be 70.

So RIP to an Iowa farmboy who found what he was supposed to do in this world.


So cool. Amazing who we meet in life and the effect they have upon us. You never forget it and realize that it is all about the people around us.

[Elefantino]

The only way they used to be able to measure pitch speed was to have the player throw the ball into a long tube.

Feller threw 107 mph.

A once-in-a-century, if not more, talent.