HONORARY LIFE PRESIDENT -BOB FELLER

FULL NAME: Robert William Andrew (Rapid Robert) Feller BORN: November 3,1918 Van Meter, Iowa

Height: 6* Weight: 185 Threw: Right Position: Pitcher

He was secretly signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1935 at the age of 16. In his first Major League start in 1936, he struck out 15 St Louis Browns Later in the '36 season, he established a new Major League record by striking out 17 Philadelphia Athletics in a single game In his rookie season, he won 17 games and followed that with 24 the next year. On October 2,1938, he re-established the Major League record by fanning 18 Detroit Tigers in a nine-inning game. He had six seasons where he won 20 or more games. Each of those years, he led the American League in wins.

In 1940 against the Chicago White Sox, he pitched the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League history. He threw three career no-hitters and had 12 career one-hitters. He was 23 and had 107 wins when he enlisted in the Navy in 1941. In his first two full seasons back, he won 26 and 20 games respectively. He pitched his second no-hitter in 1946 against the Yankees in New York He struck out 348 batters in 1946 setting a Major League record He led the American League in strike-outs for 7 seasons In Cleveland in 1951 against the Detroit Tigers, he threw his third no-hitter. He was baseball's biggest drawing card, with an average of an additional 10,000 fans that showed up when he was scheduled to pitch. He was a Cleveland Indians pitcher for 18 years and won 266 games and lost 162. He was voted Cleveland's "Man of the Year" twice He played in 9 All-Star games. He participated in the 1948 and 1954 World Series He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962 and inducted later that year. In 1969, he was selected as the "Greatest Living Right-Handed Pitcher" as part of baseball's Centennial Celebration.