“Baseball is only a game, a game of inches and a lot of luck. During a time of all-out war, sports are very insignificant.”
On July 19, 1936, in the eighth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, a man — perhaps more aptly labeled a boy, as he had not even finished high school and was still months away from his eighteenth birthday — from Van Meter, Iowa, was summoned to the mound to replace Johnny Allen and make his official major league debut.
Feller entered in the middle of the inning with a man on third. He allowed the first two batters he faced to reach, despite not allowing a hit, to load the bases, but would then retire the next three in order, including the first strikeout of his big league career.
Fun fact: Feller’s first career strikeout came against Buddy Lewis — a future Captain in the United States Army Air Forces, who would fly roughly 370 missions during World War II, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and several Air Medals.
Feller would pitch exclusively in relief over the next month and was ineffectively wild, allowing seven runs in eight games, and did not make his first big league start until Aug. 23, 1936. On that day, “The Heater from Van Meter,” was born, as Feller led the Indians to victory over the Browns, allowing just one run in a complete game victory during which he struck out 15 batters. At just 17 years and 294 days, he became the youngest pitcher ever to record as many strikeouts — in fact, he became the second youngest to do so, also, when he rung up 17 later that season, in the first game of a doubleheader on Sept. 13th against the Athletics. If that is not enough, he is also the third youngest, striking out 16 in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 25, 1937, then 18 years old and finally a high school graduate.
Fun fact: Feller is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seven, eighth, and ninth youngest pitcher in history to record double-digit strikeouts in a game. And his 16 double-digit strikeout games as a teenager rank most in baseball history.
In his first six seasons, Feller won nearly twice as many games as he lost, going 107-54, completing 117 of his 175 games started, striking out 1,233 batters during that span, 154 more than second place Bobo Newsom and 467 more than third place Tommy Bridges. In hindsight, we now know that he tallied 37.3 wins above replacement (WAR) during that span, which ranked most among all pitchers in baseball.
The 22-year old was the best in baseball and was paid $113,300 ($1,737,545 in 2018 dollars) for his efforts during his first six seasons. He was coming off his third straight season leading the league in victories and innings pitched and his fourth straight leading the league in strikeouts and was looking at an even bigger payday the upcoming season.
In the offseason, during a drive to Chicago to discuss his contract for the upcoming season with the Indians, Feller was listening to the car radio when he had heard the news — that day was Dec. 7, 1941 — the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.
“I was angry as hell,” recalled Feller, who was not only the best pitcher in baseball, but also had a family-related draft exemption, meaning, he had no requirement to leave baseball for the service, but he did nonetheless. He completed his drive to Chicago late that afternoon and informed Indians’ general manager Cy Slapnicka that he would be leaving the team, forgoing what would likely be about $7,000-per-month in season salary for what would initially be roughly $50-per-month as an enlisted man in the United States Navy.
“I did what any American could and should do: serve his county in its time of need,” Feller said of his decision, and on Dec. 9, 1941, Feller was uniquely sworn-in by longtime friend and former heavyweight boxing champion, Gene “The Fighting Marine” Tunney, who joined the Marine Corps when World War I broke out and was at that point a Captain in the United States Navy.
Fun fact: Tunney was 65-1-1 during his career. His lone loss came on May 23, 1922, a 15-round loss by decision, to Harry Greb. Tunney was a bit of a sore loser, as it seemed, as he would go on to defeat Greb three times after his loss, on Feb. 23, 1923, Dec. 10, 1923, and Mar. 27, 1925.
Feller attended basic training at the Norfolk Training Station in Virginia and attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer upon completion (an E-7 at the completion of basic training, surely Feller’s celebrity status did not hurt his rank).
He was assigned as a physical training instructor and in the Spring of 1942, he played baseball at the Norfolk Naval Training Station alongside Phil Rizzuto and Dom DiMaggio.
Chief Petty Officer Feller grew tired of light duty and found these orders unsat. He wanted to go to combat and fight for his country. After being denied flight orders for medical reasons, he volunteered for and attended Naval Gunnery School and Sea Duty. After four months at the school in Newport, Rhode Island, he was assigned to the USS Alabama as a gun-captain on a Bofors 40 mm gun, an anti-aircraft/multi-purpose autocannon.
Chief Petty Officer Feller would see combat off Tarawa, and in the Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, and the Philippines. He recalled, “we bombarded beaches to support amphibious assaults, served as escorts for aircraft carriers, and fended off kamikaze attacks. Two enemy bombs hit the ship during the Marianas Turkey Shoot.” He would say proudly, “The Alabama never lost a man to enemy action. The people we had on the gun crews were very good shots.”
By March 1945, Chief Petty Officer Feller returned to the United States and was managing the Great Lakes Naval Training Center’s baseball club. Finally, on Aug. 22, 1945, 15 days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, he was released from active duty.
“I’m no hero. Heroes don’t come back. Survivors return home. Heroes never come home. If anyone thinks I’m a hero, I’m not.”
Just two days later, 73 years ago today, on Aug. 24, 1945, Bob Feller returned to the Indians and led them to a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, tossing a complete game with a dozen strikeouts. He finished the 1945 season at 5-3 with a 2.50 ERA, completing seven of nine starts, striking out 59 batters.
The following season, in 1946, the then 27-year old picked up where his 22-year old self left off, but was, in fact, better. He led the league in victories (26), games (48), games started (42), complete games (36), shutouts (10), innings pitched (371⅓) , strikeouts (348), pitching WAR (10.1), all career-highs, and also posted career-lows in ERA (2.18) and FIP (2.16).
Fun fact: Despite serving in the United States Navy from Dec. 9, 1941 to Aug. 22, 1945, Bob Feller still led all of Major League Baseball with 1,174 strikeouts from 1939 to 1946.
Feller would go on to win a World Series in 1948 and finished his career at 266-162 completing 279 of 484 games started with 3,827 innings pitched, 2,581 strikeouts, 3.25 ERA, 122ERA+, 3.48 FIP, 1.316 WHIP, tallying 65.5 WAR.
“The Heater from Van Meter,” was officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962, but that is — in my opinion — not the day he became a Hall of Famer. For me, that day was on Dec. 9, 1942, when the best damn pitcher in baseball decided to give up his Hall of Fame career and serve his country during its time of need.
Fortunately for baseball fans, today, we can reflect on his victorious return to the game.
Created an account, and it works. 👍🏻
thanks Jake! -Ryan