Bob Feller

Bob Feller was a fire balling phenomenon who came to define pre, and post war baseball excellence. Debuting for the Cleveland Indians at just 17 years old, Feller led the league in strikeouts seven times, pitched three no hitters, and won 266 games over an 18-year career. A proud patriot, he was the first MLB player to enlist in the U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor, serving nearly four full years during World War II and earning several campaign ribbons and combat decorations.

Feller stood apart from many of his white peers by being open to integration in baseball. He treated Black players with respect and was one of the earliest white stars to advocate for the inclusion of Negro Leaguers in MLB exhibitions. Feller played in countless barnstorming games during the offseason, including a famous series of integrated matchups against Satchel Paige, where the two aces drew massive crowds and mutual admiration. These tours were groundbreaking in showing the public and owners that Black players were not only equal but, in many cases, superior.

Feller faced Robinson during one of these exhibition series. Though Robinson doubled twice off of him, Feller remained unconvinced that Jackie was big league material. He would be proven wrong in 1962, when Feller and Robinson stood side-by-side as the only modern era inductees into the Hall of Fame that year. He stands as a figure who, while rooted in baseball’s traditional fabric, played a quiet but important role in bridging the game’s segregated past with its integrated future.