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View Full Version : Bob Feller, the greatest Indian


Don Quixote
12-09-10, 02:17 PM
Feller to hospice (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/12/08/feller.hospice.ap/index.html?eref=sihp)
And a war hero to boot. :(
Napoleon
12-09-10, 04:07 PM
Best of luck to Rapid Robert.

He lives near me. He use to live in the awesome house that looks like it was built by one of the robber baron industrialist of the 1920s which you can find at Google Maps at 41.549359,-81.411454
TravelGal
12-09-10, 04:53 PM
Oh dear. What an incredible ambassador for the sport. Peace to you Bob. Peace.
Don Quixote
12-09-10, 05:18 PM
you can find at Google Maps at 41.549359,-81.411454What are all those green things? Are those what you easterners call "trees"?
Napoleon
12-09-10, 05:43 PM
What are all those green things? Are those what you easterners call "trees"?

Yes, Unfortunately they come with deer who eat your plants, etc. Where that house is located is just lovely. Many of them are million plus homes.

Me, I am up the hill from that valley with the riff-raff, but still have a 7/10 acre lot and at least 10 trees over 50 feet high, so I like it.
Don Quixote
12-15-10, 11:55 PM
Bob Feller passes tonight. :(
TravelGal
12-16-10, 01:45 AM
"I just reared back and let them go," Feller once said of his pitching style.

And now we must let you go. Rest well.
Napoleon
12-16-10, 05:59 AM
RIP Bob.

It was nice having an old timer like him around who would attend games and make appearances.
Napoleon
12-16-10, 09:13 AM
By the way, it is worth noting that even though he has great stats for his career he spent what would have likely been some of his best years in the military in WWII.

http://media.cleveland.com/tribe_impact/photo/9119974-large.jpg
Don Quixote
12-16-10, 09:48 AM
Great picture Nappy! I wish they could have clocked his fastball in his prime. My dad always swore he was the fastest ever.
Napoleon
12-16-10, 10:05 AM
My dad always swore he was the fastest ever.

On that note, the NY Times has this quote in his obit:

"As Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez was said to have remarked after three Feller pitches blew by him, “That last one sounded a little low.” "
Napoleon
12-17-10, 06:57 AM
Last night I read newspaper stories I had on him and holy cow, I guess I did not realize how truly spectacular he was. I do not recall any sports figure in my life time (nearly 50 years) that comes remotely close to being the phenom he was.
dando
12-17-10, 01:35 PM
So I've been reading a few articles about Rapid Robert, and I saw in the local fish wrap that he only pitched in the '48 WS. What happened to him in '54? When I looked up that series, only Lemon, Wynn and Garcia started games. What happened to Bob that season? He was 13-3 with ~3 ERA that season, which obviously was @ the tail end of his career since he retired after the '56 season.

-Kevin
TravelGal
12-17-10, 04:42 PM
LOL@ Lefty Gomez.

He was 36 in 1954 so yeah, near the end of his best abilities. I read something that said they clocked his fastball at 104.5 measured against a horse running. Not quite sure how that went but it still would have been something to see. Wonder if they have any old tapes of games by which they could estimate the speed of his pitches? Don't see why not since the distance is standard.