CHICAGO - If anybody has lived the All-American life, it's Bob Feller. If there was a checklist of things to be used to give somebody the stereotypical old-time Americana life, it would probably be based on Feller's life.
Did he come from humble beginnings?
- Feller grew up a farm boy in Van Meter, Iowa
Did his talent come through dedication and hard work?
- He says he developed a strong throwing arm from doing various chores around the farm, including baling hay.
Did he meet all expectations at an early age?
- He was signed by a Cleveland Indians scout at age 16 for $1, and he pitched in his first Major League game at age 17.
Did he have a catchy nickname?
- Pick one: The Heater from Van Meter, Rapid Robert, or Bullet Bob
Did he put others before himself?
- Feller enlisted in the Navy on December 8, 1941, the first Major Leaguer to do so. He stayed in the military until the end of the war. To this day, he says he has no regrets about doing it, and refuses to be called a hero. "The heroes are the ones who died."
Feller left quite a legacy. He's in the Hall of Fame, and he returns to attend the ceremonies every year despite being 91 years old. He pitched in two World Series, winning one, and is one of two players in history who has struck out his age in a game, striking out 17 batters at the age of 17.
Perhaps his most famous moment came on April 16, 1940, when he threw the first of his three no-hitters. This one against the White Sox stands out because it remains the only one ever thrown on Opening Day. With help from his own decision to walk future hall-of-famer Luke Appling in the eighth - "I had a feeling he was going to get a hit" - and a diving stop by second baseman Ray Mack for the final out, he accomplished a feat that had never happened before. And, considering how careful baseball teams are with their pitchers' pitch counts early in the season, he might always be the only man with an Opening Day no-hitter.
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