Robert William Andrew “Bob” Feller was born on November 3, 1918 in Van Meter, Iowa and began playing baseball from a young age. He earned fame in his rookie season in 1936 at age 17, and was known for his powerful fastball and high strikeout totals, earning the nickname “Rapid Robert.” Feller enlisted in US Navy shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, giving up almost four seasons in the prime of his career. Following his service, Feller returned to Cleveland, where he played for the Cleveland Indians until 1956. Feller was admired for his quality of character in equal part to his baseball record, and in 2010 the Cleveland Indians Man of the Year Award was renamed to the Bob Feller Man of the Year Award. Feller died on December 15, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio. Bob Feller was made a Great Ohioan in 2010.
Photo shows Bob Feller as pictured by Life magazine in 1939.