#14 Bob Feller

 

Bob Feller
P
1936-1956
10x All Star, 7x Strikeout Champion, 1940 Pitcher Triple Crown
Baseball Hall of Fame 1962

Bob Feller was in the Baseball Hall of Fame for more than half his life. That's remarkable. What's also remarkable is this. He won 266 games, was a 10 time all star, 2581 career strikeouts, and he missed 3 ENTIRE seasons and most of a fourth to the World War 2 at age 23, 24, 25, 26. While he was there he earend 6 campagin ribbons and 8 battle stars, but this is a baseball countdown not a war countdown. 

To put this in perspective, let's look at the 3 years before he went in the Navy and the 2 full seasons when he got out. In that 5 year stretch he averaged 24.4 wins a year, lead the league in innings pitched all 5 of those seasons, lead the league in strikeouts ALL FIVE of those seasons (plus 1 before and 1 after for good measure) and he posted a 2.68 ERA. 

So some of his stats don't reach the heights of some others, but he lost 4 seasons in the middle of his prime to WW2. Conversatively add 60 wins and 1000 strikeouts to his total and see where he lands then.

He was a member of the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians. He made his MLB debut at age 17. They once set up a contest where his fastball raced a motorcycle.  He threw the only opening day no hitter ever. The man is not just one of the best pitchers that ever lived, he sounds made up.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962. 


Anthony Leonelli is a 38 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this list came together check here criteria. He thinks that George Brett winning batting titles in 3 decades is pretty awesome. 




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