Bob Feller’s Baseball Career Statistics and Facts

Bob Feller Baseball Career Statistics
Year G IP W L Pct. H R ER SO BB ERA
1936 14 62 5 3 .625 52 29 23 76 47 3.34
1937 26 149 9 7 .563 116 68 56 150 106 3.38
1938 39 278 17 11 .607 225 136 126 240 208 4.08
1939 39 297 24 9 .727 227 105 94 246 142 2.85
1940 43 320 27 11 .711 245 102 93 261 118 2.62
1941 44 343 25 13 .658 284 129 120 260 194 3.15
1942-44
In Military Service
1945 9 72 5 3 .625 50 21 20 59 35 2.50
1946 48 371 26 15 .634 277 101 90 348 153 2.18
1947 42 299 20 11 .645 230 97 89 196 127 2.68
1948 44 280 19 15 .559 255 123 111 164 116 3.57
1949 36 211 15 14 .517 198 104 88 108 84 3.75
1950 35 247 16 11 .593 230 105 94 119 103 3.43
1951 33 250 22 8 .733 239 105 97 111 95 3.49
1952 30 192 9 13 .409 219 124 101 81 83 4.73
1953 25 176 10 7 .588 168 78 70 60 60 3.58
1954 19 140 13 3 .813 127 53 48 59 39 3.09
1955 25 83 4 4 .500 71 43 32 25 31 3.47
1956 19 58 0 4 .000 63 34 32 18 23 4.97
Totals 570 3,828 266 162 .621 3,271 1,557 1,384 2,581 1,764 3.25

 

Career Highlights

  • Named Baseball Writers’ Association of America for The Sporting News All-Star Major League Teams, 1939 – 40 – 41 – 46 – 47.
  • Pitched first no-hitter on opening day at Comiskey Park against the Chicago White Sox, April 16, 1940
  • Named by The Sporting News as the Number 1 Major League Player of the Year, 1940.
    December 8, 1941-enlisted in the U.S. Navy, at the peak of his career, serving 44 months.
  • Pitched second no-hitter against the New York Yankees, April 30, 1946
  • Pitched third no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, July 1, 1951
  • Pitched 12 one-hit games
  • Named by The Sporting News as Top Pitcher in the American League, 1951
  • Named to the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1962.

Facts

  • Robert William (Bob) Feller was born November 3, 1918, on a farm near Van Meter, Iowa.
  • He played 4 years of American Legion baseball as well as amateur and semi-professional ball. He was the first American Legion graduate to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was signed to a Cleveland Indians contract by C.C. Slapnicka in July of 1935, when only 16 years old.
  • During his first start in 1936, he struck out 15 St. Louis Browns; in a later games that same season, at age 17, he established a new American League record by fanning 17 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • On October 2, 1938, he again established a new Major League record by striking out 18 Detroit Tigers in a single, nine-inning game.
  • On opening day in Chicago 1940, Bob Feller pitched his first of 3 no-hitters, the only no-hitter pitched on opening day in Major League history.
  • Two days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, at the peak of his career, he enlisted in the Navy – – and was discharged the latter part of 1945. During the 44 months he spent in the Navy, most of the time he was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Alabama in the gunnery department where he earned 8 Battle Stars.
  • By the time he enlisted at age 22, Bob Feller had become the first pitcher in Major League history to win 20 or more games before the age of 21 and had 109 major league victories. This is by far the most victories ever recorded in major league by a 22 year old pitcher.
  • In 1946, he set a major league record for the most strikeouts in one season – 348. He led the American League in strikeouts for 7 years. In April of that year he also pitched his second no-hitter against the New York Yankees in New York.
  • He pitched his third no-hitter in 1951 against the Detroit Tigers in Cleveland. He had a total of 12 one-hit games during his career.
  • He was voted Indian’s “Man of the Year” twice – played on 9 All-Star teams, including the Service All-Stars of 1942 – and participated in two World Series (1948 and 1954).
  • Bob Feller led the American League in victories on 6 occasions during his career. Overall, he won 266 games while losing only 162. Only the four years spent in military service prevented him from winning more than 300 games, while compiling a total of 2,581 strikeouts. Those 4 years, in all probability, cost him at least 100 victories as well as establishing other pitching records which would have stood for decades.
  • Bob Feller – – Cleveland Indian’s pitcher (1936 – 1956) – – was elected into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in January of 1962 and was inducted into the Hall in July of the same year.
  • In July of 1969, he was selected as the “Greatest Living Right-Hand Pitcher” as part of Professional Baseball’s Centennial Celebration.