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Feller must have been incredibly gifted: he skipped the minors completely and played in the majors at 17, and picked right back up where he left off after spending four seasons in the Navy. Surely he played some ball during the war, but battleships don't make good ballparks - especially during war. I don't know how someone could go straight from the military into the major leagues and pitch nine innings and be just as good as he was in 1941. Amazing.

"I don't know how someone could go straight from the military into the major leagues and pitch nine innings and be just as good as he was in 1941.

Feller was indeed a rare talent but remember the quality of MLB in 1945 was not great due to the war.

I was once checking onto a flight at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, standing in the business class line behind a tall elderly gentleman at the counter, when the lady behind it said something, something, "Mr. Feller". As he turned to go I said "I'm really sorry to bother you, but are you Bob Feller?" He replied yes, so I asked if I might shake his hand and told him what an honor it was to meet him. Classic gentleman and sportsman of the old school.

A friend of mine at that time held an executive position with the Dodgers. He was a dedicated Dodger and would occasionally say some jokingly disparaging things about the Indians and the American League in general. I shut him up once by agreeing that the Indians in no way could match the legendary status of the Dodgers. But we did on one or two occasions have a couple good pitchers. I asked "Have you ever heard of Bob Feller?" He said "Sure. He was an Indians player?" "Yeah. And we had one other. Let me see ... I think his name was Cy Something. Oh yeah, Cy Young. Ever heard of him?".

End of conversation.