Posted on 07/05/2004 4:43:53 PM PDT by RWR8189
GATES MILLS, OH - Baseball Hall-of-Famer and World War II veteran Bob Feller announced today his support for President Bush’s strong leadership:
“While President Bush’s leadership in the War on Terror has made America’s veterans proud of our commander-in-chief, John Kerry's changing position shows he cannot be trusted with our safety and security. John Kerry voted to take action in Iraq, but later declared himself an anti-war candidate. Then, after saying it would be ‘irresponsible’ not to support our troops, he voted against the $87 billion to provide our troops with supplies like body armor. He explained that vote by saying he voted for the $87 billion before he voted against it, and went on to pledge his support for an additional $25 billion in funding. When the time came to vote on the $25 billion, Kerry was nowhere to be found.”
Feller, a native of Van Meter, Iowa, has been called the “Greatest Living Right-Handed Pitcher.” He first signed a Cleveland Indians contract in July 1935 at age 16. He later enlisted in the Navy two days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor at age 23 and at the height of his baseball career.
Before enlisting in the Navy, he had become the first pitcher in major league history to win 20 or more games before the age of 21, and had 109 major league victories, including the only no-hitter pitched on opening day in Chicago 1940. After four years in the Navy, Feller had earned eight Battle Stars serving aboard the U.S.S. Alabama as a gun captain in the gunnery department. He then returned to baseball to continue his legendary career that included setting the major league record for the most strikeouts in one season—348—in 1948; pitching three no-hitters; and was voted the Cleveland Indian’s “Man of the Year” twice.
I read that player-manager Leo Durocher watched a teenage Bob Feller warmup before a spring training game. Noticing Feller was not exhibiting a lot of control, Leo promptly took himself out of the lineup for that game.
Copyright 2004 Investor's Business Daily, Inc.
www.investors.com
Investor's Business Daily
June 9, 2004 Wednesday
Leaders & Sucess; National Edition; Pg. A03
The Rapid Rise Of Bob Feller; From Farm To Fame:
The fireballing pitcher came through in baseball and WWII
BY JONAH KERI
He cracked the major leagues at age 17. He established himself as the best pitcher in the major leagues by 22. He became a precocious businessman, parlaying his early fame into personal wealth. Bob Feller was on top of the world as he drove from his hometown of Van Meter, Iowa, to Chicago on Dec. 7, 1941, on his way to negotiate his next lucrative contract.
Just then, word came over his car radio -- the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. Feller made it to Chicago, told his Cleveland Indians bosses he was enlisting, and immediately joined the U.S. Navy.
Yet putting some of the peak years of his baseball career on hold to serve his country wasn't enough for Feller. After serving as a Navy physical training drill instructor for a while, Feller wanted to do more. He volunteered for combat duty, aiming for the thick of the action.
That was Feller: never afraid to take on a new challenge. He really did do more before 9 a.m. than most people did all day.
"He could have spent the whole war as a drill instructor, but that wasn't him," said John Sickels, author of the recently released biography "Bob Feller, Ace of the Greatest Generation." "He became gun-crew chief (on the USS Alabama), which was a dangerous job, especially in the Pacific. He's extremely proud of that, to this day. Of all the things in his life, his record in the war is probably the thing he's most proud of."
That's saying a lot, given Feller's list of achievements. An eight-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, Feller six times led the league in wins, seven times in strikeouts. Pitching before the Cy Young Award for best pitcher was introduced, he finished in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting six times. Considered a workhorse, he led the league in innings pitched five times, and would sometimes get called to do bullpen duty in key games during a pennant race, just a day or two after pitching a complete game as a starter.
He won 266 games with a winning percentage of .621. He pitched three no-hitters -- trailing only Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax on the all-time list -- and is tied for the all-time record for one-hitters, with 12. He led his team to a World Series title in 1948 and an American League pennant in 1954 while battling fierce rivals in New York, Boston and Detroit during his career.
Feller's impressive career numbers would have looked even brighter if not for the three seasons he missed while in the Navy. He ranks 21st all time in strikeouts despite that missed time and his era, when strikeouts were far less common than they are today.
To fully appreciate Feller's impact, it's best to view him through the sphere of his time. Though today Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio usually get the acclaim as the greatest players of their era, Sickels says Feller was as much of a drawing card for fans and a comparably dominant on-field force at the height of his career.
Farm System
Feller got a leg up on the competition starting at an early age. Despite working long days on the family farm in Iowa, Bob's father, Bill, regularly took time with his son to play catch. Along with a steady diet of farm chores, the games of catch were so frequent, they helped build up Bob's arm strength, an important factor in his career durability.
More than just a playmate, Bill Feller took measured steps as Bob grew up to place him in an environment where he could succeed. Bob wanted to play shortstop at a young age, so Bill let him do so for several years. When it became obvious that Bob's talent was in his pitching arm, however, Bill gently encouraged Bob to shift his focus.
Aware that Bob was shy, Bill opted not to enroll him in a typical youth baseball league in the area. Instead, he built an actual field of dreams on the farm, razing a huge section of crops to build a full diamond, bleachers, the works. Bill hand-picked players and teams for the league, and let Bob mature at a gradual pace rather than risk him getting discouraged in a strange setting.
"His dad wanted to ease him into competition, rather than throwing him into the deep end to sink or swim," Sickels said. "Now Bob is very outgoing, with an aggressive personality. As a kid he wasn't like that. This was part of building his whole emotional confidence, under his dad's supervision, gradually."
After a few years playing on what was literally his home field, Feller began dazzling opponents in semi-pro leagues. As his confidence grew, any fear he might have had vanished. Feller regularly beat players several years his senior. Rather than just win, he aimed to dominate them, routinely striking out 10, 12, even 15 batters or more in a game.
By the time he reached Cleveland and the major leagues in 1936, Feller was big news. He'd often share the front page of his hometown paper with major world news events. After some of his bigger feats, he'd sometimes have the front page to himself. Though the accolades helped boost his confidence, Feller was careful to keep his ego in check. "My mom and dad always told me, "No one is immortal. Don't get full of yourself,' " he said.
His fame quickly spread to nationwide status. In his rookie season, he struck out 76 batters in 62 innings, allowing just one home run. His earned-run average of 3.34 was 51% better than the league average.
Speed Demon
Early on, Feller made his living mostly on his fastball, earning the nickname "Rapid Robert." Though modern radar guns hadn't been invented, a device of that time clocked his fastball at what experts today estimate at 102 miles per hour, which ranks among the fastest pitch speeds ever recorded.
He regularly led the league in strikeouts with his high velocity and aggressive approach. Opponents, even superstars, feared him.
His sustained success was all the more remarkable, given Feller's frenetic off-season schedule. Seeing the popularity of barnstorming tours, Feller set out to do it better. He organized his own tours, attracting top major-league talent to tour the country and play on his team. He scheduled opponents that packed in ballparks nationwide, including frequent tilts with Negro League All-Stars such as Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson.
His business savvy made him one of the wealthiest players of his time. So Feller didn't have to take off-season jobs to make ends meet, like many players of his era did.
Combined with his work ethic, that led Feller to become a physical fitness pioneer. While other players waited until spring training to get in shape, Feller had the time to do scads of push-ups, sit-ups, calisthenics and stretching, following a rigorous regimen. By Opening Day, he was ready to go.
See #22 for an excellent article about Bob Feller published in Investor's Business Daily recently.
See #22 for an excellent article about Bob Feller published in Investor's Business Daily recently.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Thank you Mr. Feller for serving our country.
Feller and Koufax were the best pitchers ever.
I got to meet Mickey Mantle the next morning, as he was leaving the hotel. I told him how big a fan I was (growing up in NY) and told him my older sister had a big crush on him. He asked me how old my sister was. When I told him 16 he snapped his finger and said "too bad." I actually got to tell that story to Whitey Ford a few years ago and he said "that was Mickey."
Bob Feller is one of the true greats of baseball and I hope that he gets the attention that he deservers. More than that, he is a great American, both with what he has said this year and, more importantly, with what he did when it really counted in his youth.
Bill Veeck and Bob Hope
I'm glad that Bob Feller supports Bush. I hate it when someone I like shows themselves to be a leftist. I won't watch a Ben Affleck movie, or listen to the Dixie Chicks, because I don't want to support anti-American views. I just don't think Bob Feller's views deserve any more airing than theirs. Sorry you think a sports career makes someone's views important. Maybe you should find out what Bob Gibson thinks.
Not if you have argued that celebrity endorsements by their people are not worth listening too, since they come from people whose views on world affairs are no more worth listening to than any other person walking down the street. Find me a celebrity with some legitimate expertise in foreign affairs or national politics (Jim Bunning, JC Watts, Moe Greenberg) and I'll listen to what they have to say. Otherwise, I don't cotton to hero worship.
Bump.
Not meant for you personally,but,sometimes I think folks who have a real problem with hero worship may think that way because they aren't anybody's.
The Mariners probably couldn't get a hit off him either, and he's 85.
Who cares what Bob Feller thinks? I do. But not because he's Bob Feller. I care what he thinks because he's a patriotic American who supports our President and our troops during wartime.
Who cares?....I do.
Bob Feller has been in the public eye for the majority of his life. By all accounts he has led a good life. I respect that. If he says something, experience tells me he believes what he says.
If Mr. Feller endorses Pres. Bush, I hope it helps other people to give him more consideration...and their vote.
I don't have a problem with hero worship per se. I have a problem with translating the love of a great ballplayer's talents into a desire to understand how they think about events of the day. My hero in baseball was Bob Gibson. He was the toughest guy I ever watched throw 98mph fastballs for 9 innings in 95 degree heat. But for politics, my hero was and remains Ronald Reagan. Gibby is probably a leftwinger, and I'm glad he's private enough to keep his leanings confidential, so I just know of him by what he did on the field.
If anyone bases their viewpoint on what Madonna, on the one hand, or Tom Selleck, on the other hand, think, they are committing a mistake in the logic of their reasoning.
I guarantee you, that Kerry can match you person for person with endorsements from sports, and can destroy Bush in celebrity endorsements. Either you accept them as relevant, and Bush takes it on the chin, or you must argue that a celebrity endorsement is only valuable if the celebrity's arguments and reasoning process are valid. In other words, substance, not proponent, governs.
Did he protest the American war effort when he returned home, lie to the media, and lie to Congress about "war crimes"?
Follow through on your comparison to John Kerry.
Kerry committed treason after his brief service was up.
Do you find something shameful about President Bush's own military service? Do you blame former President Bush (Bush41) for ditching a plane, too?
Kerry can beat Bush with entertainment endorsements, no question. But as for athletes, I wouldn't put my money on Kerry. The vast majority of professional athletes, if they have any political leanings at all, vote Republican.
You know what? The media is going to shove the leftist entertainers' endorsements of Kerry down our throats, no matter what our side does. Besides, if you really think that anybody outside of diehard Republicans who check out Bush's website will even hear about the Feller endorsement, you don't know the media.
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