Yankee
Stadium has been replaced and most of Tiger Stadium has been destroyed, but there are still plenty of places to visit where baseball
legend Bob
Feller made history. Consider following in Feller’s footsteps as you plan your 2009 baseball travel.
The
2009 SABR Convention, July 30-August 2, takes place in Washington D.C. where Feller made his big league debut on
July 19, 1936. On that date, at Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C., Feller was used in a mop-up role for the Indians against
the home-standing Senators. Better known is Rapid Robert’s appearance on July 6, 1936, at Cleveland’s League Park
in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals. In three innings, young Feller had eight strikeouts against the vaunted
“Gashouse Gang.”
Bob
had many great games at the old Yankee Stadium. On April 30th, 1936, "Rapid Robert" pitched his
second big league no-hitter, maybe the best single game of his life, beating the Yankees 1-0. In his final game of the 1936
season in Detroit, he struck out five Tigers giving him 348 strikeouts for the season. The five strikeouts topped the accepted
record of 343 by Rube Waddell
in 1904 (though research has adjusted Waddell’s 1904 total to 349).
Follow in Bob Feller’s
footsteps at these locations:
Bob
Feller Museum, Van Meter, Iowa: Bob was born in Van Meter and makes several appearances a year at the museum.
Griffith Stadium site, Washington
D.C.: Feller pitched there many times, including his major league debut on July 19, 1936.
League Park site, Cleveland, Ohio: This
was Bob’s primary home park for most of 1936-41 and 1945-46.
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Ala.: The ship upon which Feller served in
World War II is located in Mobile Bay. If you take the self-guided tour of the ship, keep an eye out for his bunk. The ship
is also a National Historic Landmark.
Yankee Stadium site, Bronx, N.Y.: Feller pitched many games there, including his no-hitter
on April 30, 1946.
Tiger
Stadium site, Detroit, Mich.: Bob’s work there included his final regular-season appearance of 1946 when
his record setting strikeout total reached 348.
Cleveland Stadium site, Cleveland, Ohio: The Stadium was Bob’s home park for portions
of his 1936-41 and 1945-46 seasons. The Gray Lady on the Lake was Feller’s home stadium exclusively from 1947 to 1956.
His starts here included the fifth game of the 1948 World Series.
National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y.:, Bob was a first-ballot inductee to the
Hall of Fame here in 1962. He faithfully returns to Cooperstown each year for the induction ceremonies.
Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio:
Feller was on hand in 1994 when a heroic-sized statue in his honor was unveiled outside the ballpark as part of the
festivities opening the new park. Bob is a frequent visitor to see his Indians play at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
Braves Field site, Boston,
Mass.: Bob’s first World Series appearance came here on October 6, 1948. Feller pitched a brilliant two-hitter,
but the Indians were shut out by Johnny Sain and lost a 1-0 decision.
