Bob Feller's Hall of Fame plaque (elected, 1962)

Robert William Andrew Feller

Cleveland A.L. 1936 to 1941

                       1945 to 1956

Pitched 3 no-hit games in the A.L., 12 one hit games.
Set modern strikeout record with 18 in a game, 348 for season.
Led A.L. in victories 6 (one tie) seasons.
Lifetime record: Won 266, lost 162, P.C. .621. E.R. average 3.25, struckout 2,581.

Bob Feller Bio

Born: Nov. 3, 1918 at Van Meter, Iowa

Height: 6-0 Weight: 185

Batted left and threw right

When Bob Feller said of his pitching, "I just reared back and let them go," he accurately described his blazing fastball. "Rapid Robert" set the standard for generations of future fireballers. During his 18-year career, spent entirely with the Cleveland Indians, Feller amassed 266 victories, leading the league in wins six times and strikeouts seven. After enlisting in the Navy in 1941, Feller missed nearly four full seasons to serve the country. As a Navy gun captain, he earned five campaign ribbons studded with eight battle stars. Feller authored three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters, winning 20 or more games six times.

Remembering Bob Feller

"We are all saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Feller. He represented the National Baseball Hall of Fame longer than any individual in history, as 2011 would have been his 50th year as a Hall of Fame member. No one loved coming back to Cooperstown more than Bob, which he and Anne did often. Bob was a wonderful ambassador for the Hall of Fame, always willing to help the Museum. Watching him pitch just shy of his 91st birthday at the Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown will be a memory that we will always treasure. He will always be missed."

- Jane Forbes Clark, Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board  

"The Baseball Hall of Fame has lost an American original - there will never be anyone quite likeBob Feller ever again. He was truly larger than life - baseball's John Wayne - coming out of the Iowa cornfields to the major leagues at age 17 and then dominating for two decades. Bob loved being a member of Baseball's Hall of Fame, but he was most proud of his service as a highly decorated soldier in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II. He reached the pinnacle of individual achievement in 1962, earning enshrinement in Cooperstown, spending more than half his life as a Hall of Fame member.  He probably flew more miles, signed more autographs, met more people and visited more places than anyone, a testament to his ceaseless zest for life, baseball and country. Cooperstown will never be the same without Rapid Robert. - Jeff Idelson, Hall of Fame President

QUOTES ABOUT BOB FELLER

Charlie Gehringer: Feller had terrific speed, but what made him even harder to hit was that tremendous curve ball.

Ted Lyons: It wasn't until you hit against him that you knew how fast he really was, until you saw with your own eyes that ball jumping at you.

Frankie Frisch: The kid's the fastest pitcher I ever saw.

George Case: You talk about a ballplayer having magnetism. Bob Feller had it, with plenty to spare.

QUOTES FROM BOB FELLER

"A baseball life is short. You're out of the game much longer than you are in it, and you have to prepare yourself for that time."      

 "(My father) made a home plate in the yard, and I'dthrow to him over it.He even built me a pitching rubber. When I was 12, webuilt a ball field on our farm. We fenced off the pasture, put up the chickenwire and the benches and even a little grandstand behind first base. We formedour own team and played other teams from the around the community onweekends."

"I think it takes more ability to be a completeballplayer than it does to play any major sports that I know of. Good reflexes,good eye, good coordination. You'd better have them."

On theweb: Visithttp://baseballhall.org/news/museum-news/loss-legendtoview Bob Feller's Hall of Fame Induction Speech, a video tribute and his Hall ofFame plaque.

Coming this afternoon:The Hall of Fame willrelease comments from Hall of Famers regarding Bob Feller'spassing.