Now Pitching, Bob Feller

Bob Feller was a sensation from the time that he signed by the Cleveland Indians to leave the family farm in Van Meter, Iowa to report directly to the big leagues as a teenager. When he completed his high school education by taking correspondence classes and returned home to take part in commencement exercises, Feller was accompanied by newsreel cameramen. His graduation was national news. Feller was one of the fastest pitchers in baseball history. He routinely lead the American League in strike outs, but also suffered from wildness when he could not locate his 100 m.p.h. fastball. Nevertheless, he topped the league in wins six times. He recorded three no hit games. His noteworthy career was interrupted by World War II (Feller served four years in the Navy) and he had the misfortune to play for a succession of poor teams in Cleveland before the Tribe became a contending ballclub. As such, Feller was unable to reach 300 career wins. He came close, but missed the mark by missed the mark by thirty-four wins. Unquestionably, he would have reached that mark, but for the war. He was a perennial All Star and played on two pennant winners and one World Championship team. One of his key regrets was that he did not record a win in World Series play: He was 0-2 in the 1948 series, including one especially tough loss to Johnny Sain of the Boston Braves (a 2-1 decision highlighted by a disputed call on a pickoff attempt); in 1954, Feller never pitched an inning as the Indians were swept in four straight by the New York Giants. Feller is a blunt and unapologetic individual. He has made more than a few controversial remarks when commenting upon baseball related subjects. He is one of the most talented pitchers to have played baseball and he knows it. Readers may find this somewhat off putting as Feller can come across as arrogant, immodest and extremely opinionated. In my case, the narrative tone employed throughout the book detracted from my enjoyment of Feller's autobiography. As the axiom goes, it takes nine men make a team.

The basic facts are simple enough ... Bob Feller was born two months after Ted Williams, eight days before the Armistice ended WWI. Possessor of a blazing fastball, "Rapid Robert" broke into major league baseball at 17 in 1936, Joe Dimaggio's rookie year. Feller pitched for the Cleveland Indians, ending his career the year Mickey Mantle won the Triple Crown (1956). Feller enlisted in the U.S. Navy December 9, 1941, the first player to do so. He returned to the Indians in late 1945 after serving 44 months. He threw 3 no-hitters, and 12 one-hitters. Bob Feller is a humble and honest man, and his story shows it. The book begins with critical comments on television's influence on baseball circa 1990. He writes of his boyhood in Van Meter, Iowa, and pitching in the big leagues before graduating from high school. His anecdotes about barnstorming bring Satchel Paige to vivid life. Feller does not gloss over his first wife's illness, or his strained relationship with Jackie Robinson. I imagine he is greatly dismayed by today's steroid abuse allegations. He calls on current players to contribute more to baseball's pension plan. When Feller played, salaries were much lower. Many big-leaguers worked in the off-season to supplement their incomes. Over the last thirty years, free agency and escalating TV contracts have made mediocre players millionaires. Feller is not jealous. He seeks a fair shake for many aging and retired former ballplayers in danger of being forgotten by the system. Baseball autobiographies abound. I rank Feller's with "Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life" and Hank Aaron's "I Had a Hammer" among the most memorable. Highly recommended.