March 14, 2009: Bob Feller / Baseball & WWII

Bob Feller / Baseball Hall of Famer & WWII Navy VeteranJoin host Gary Lillie and guest Bob Feller, the only retired Navy Chief who is a member of a major sports Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “The Heater from Van Meter,” Bob Feller’s 1936 debut in the major leagues was explosive, when, as a 17-year old rookie he struck out eight St. Louis Cardinals in three innings. He struck out 15 St Louis Brown batters later that year and then 17 Philadelphia Athletics. Before he left his teens his 100-MPH fastball sent 18 Detroit Tigers back to the dugout.Feller lost 3 1/2 years in the prime of his career when, after the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the first major leaguer to enlist in the military. Still, by the time he retired in 1956 he had played 18 years, won 266 games, hurled 3 no-hitters, struck out 2,581 batters and earned a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.