Indians Legend Bob Feller Dead at 92

[Valadius]

Bob Feller, at 92 the longest-tenured Hall of Famer (elected in 1962) has reportedly been moved from a hospital to hospice care. May his final days be peaceful.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A model post-career life, with a loyal duty to being a symbol of the franchise that he was associated with, though it couldn't have been an easy one to represent.

[metirish]

Rest in peace

[Guest themetfairy]

RIP Bob. You were one of the greats.

[Valadius]

Merge. RIP.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I met Mr. Feller several times -- one of the all-time great autograph signers! He seemed nice and loved to talk baseball.

Posnanski has a great column about him.

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/12/16/rip-bob-feller/

[G-Fafif]

R.I.P. Rapid Robert. The Posnanski remembrance is a keeper. Also worth revisiting this Frank Deford piece from 2005.

Bob Feller came to Shea Stadium to help honor Ralph Kiner on Ralph's night in 2007. The honor was all ours.

[ashie62]

Probably the nicest one on one pro athlete I have met and a hero to me. R.I.P.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sometimes the best nicknames are the most pedistrian --- Rapid Robert, the Splendid Splinter --- forced constructions seemingly formed by digging through the thesaurus to find semi-archaic words to force illiteration onto. Because it takes a real human being to give character to and sustain a nickname that mundane.

[dgwphotography]

A true HOF in every way. Interrupted his career to enlist in the Navy immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[metirish]

I remember Burkhardt's interview with him during the season, Feller was brilliant in the interview.....it might well have been Kurkhardt's career highlight.

[ashie62]

This was the day in Iowa where my Dad spotted Feller and asked if Grecian Formula 16 would help him. Feller had a good laugh. Feller was doing the game for Iowa public TV.

He sat down with us for about 15 minutes and signed a program. Here is the one signed by Omaha and I will post the Feller signed copy later today. Tony LaRussa was the 3B for the Oaks.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, that's a great Posnanski piece. I also recall that SI profile.

[ashie62]

metirish wrote: I remember Burkhardt's interview with him during the season, Feller was brilliant in the interview.....it might well have been Kurkhardt's career highlight.

Yes, Feller described some interesting lineups for the military teams and inferred they were rearely beaten then and we be just as rarely beaten by todays teams.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Michigan, you got x-Mets Bob McClure and Bill Sudakis on there. Sweet

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's Ashcroft with the Oaks poster.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yeah, that's a great Posnanski piece. I also recall that SI profile.

great piece , the closing paragraph sticks out.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/11/place-no-74-bob-feller-museum-and-place.html

Some of my Feller autographs are in the blog post. He was very protective of his legacy -- and a fine one to protect!

[Guest themetfairy]

In 2008 we took the boys to Spring Training, and went to Winter Haven to see the Mets play the Indians. Feller was there at the time for an autograph signing, in full uniform. I remember leaving the stadium after the game and seeing a car pull up to give him a ride home. D-Dad and I remarked how amazing it was that he was still so active at his age.

He lived a long life and he lived until the end. We should all be so lucky.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fastest pitcher ever? Fastest great pitcher ever? Who else is in the conversation, really-- Gibson? Johnsons Randy and Walter? Satchel Paige? Herb Score? Koufax?

[metirish]

Joel Zumaya?

Not that he cares

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, "fastest great" eliminates Score and Zumaya.

[ashie62]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Fastest pitcher ever? Fastest great pitcher ever? Who else is in the conversation, really-- Gibson? Johnsons Randy and Walter? Satchel Paige? Herb Score? Koufax?

J.R Richard, Ewell Blackwell. Minors only? Good old Steve Dalkowsi.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yeah, Score's out.

Also, Ryan, or Wagner.

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Fastest pitcher ever? Fastest great pitcher ever? Who else is in the conversation, really-- Gibson? Johnsons Randy and Walter? Satchel Paige? Herb Score? Koufax?

What about Nolan Ryan? I sat next to Bob Feller at a Met game a few years ago and he was gracious enough to converse with me for about 15 minutes, maybe half an hour. It was the only time I ever met Feller yet anyone watching our body language would've thought we were lifetime friends.

RIP, Rapid Bob.

[G-Fafif]

Sidd Finch threw 168 MPH. It was unbelievable.

[dinosaur jesus]

Rusty Hochberg. I had to bat against him one time in Little League, and he scared the crap out of me.

No disrespect to Mr. Feller, who I'm sure was plenty fast back in his day.

[Frayed Knot]

John Sickels - who posted this video at his 'Minor League Baseball' site and also wrote a biography on Feller a couple of years back - points out that this test measured the speed of the pitch as it reached the plate as opposed to most of today's reading which read the ball right out of the pitcher's hand.
So that 98.6 mph is the modern day equivalent to over 100

[Guest Edgy DC]

RichieEastside wrote: that catcher probably? got cancer from that machine

[Frayed Knot]

Would that line be funnier if I knew who 'Richie Eastside' was?