Feller, Bob

Feller, Bob (1918-2010), became the strikeout king of baseball while pitching for the Cleveland Indians (now called the Cleveland Guardians). Feller was a right-handed pitcher with a dominating fastball. From 1936 through 1956, he struck out 2,581 batters and won 266 games. Feller led the American League seven times in strikeouts and five times in the number of innings pitched. He won 20 or more games in six seasons, leading the American League in victories each time. In 1940, his best season, Feller won 27 games and lost 11. He struck out a career-high 348 batters in 1946. Feller helped lead Cleveland to a World Series victory in 1948.

Robert William Andrew Feller was born on Feb. 3, 1918, in Van Meter, Iowa. He joined the Indians at the age of 17 after graduating from high school. Feller missed nearly four seasons at the height of his career, from 1942 until late 1945, after enlisting in the United States Navy during World War II (1939-1945). In 1962, Feller was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He died on Dec. 15, 2010.