Bob Feller - Professional Career - Later Years (1949-1956)

Later Years (1949-1956)

Before the 1950 season, Feller suggested to Indians management he take a pay cut. Indians general manager Hank Greenberg said, "He himself made the suggestion. In fact, he offered to take more than the 25 per cent maximum pay cut allowed. There was absolutely nothing to it. We all agreed quickly on the figure after Bob showed up yesterday." In a win over the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader, Feller helped the Indians win the game and in doing so, became the 53rd pitcher to win 200 games. Feller recorded his third career no-hitter on July 1, 1951, against the Detroit Tigers. "I was depending on my slider and I didn't begin to think of a no-hitter until about the seventh inning. I tried to keep it in the back of my mind, bearing down and concentrating on hitter at a time," Feller said. Feller was the third pitcher, after Larry Corcoran and Cy Young, to record three career no-hitters. He became the first pitcher of the 1951 season to reach 20 wins after he pitched a shutout against the Washington Senators on August 21. He was one of three Indians' pitchers to achieve the 20-win mark on the season, as Early Wynn and Mike Garcia joined Feller and became the first trio of pitchers on the same staff to earn 20 wins since the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics. Feller was named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year.

The Indians won an AL-record 111 regular season games during the 1954 season, a record previously held by the 1927 New York Yankees. The 35-year old Feller went 13–3 on the year, earning his 250th pitching victory in a May 23 win and his 2,500th career strikeout in a win on June 12. Feller made his second World Series when the Indians played against the New York Giants in the 1954 World Series, but unlike the 1948 Series, Feller did not make an appearance in the Series. The Indians, who had won the 1948 Series despite an 0–2 record from Feller, were swept in four games by the Giants.

"I know Feller wanted to start one of the games in the 1954 World Series (when the Indians were swept by the New York Giants), though we never really talked about it. It was just a decision I made (to come back with Lemon in the fourth game). If we had won the first or second game in New York, I was going to start Feller in Cleveland in the fourth game. But we didn't (win either game in New York), why in the hell was I going to pitch Feller? He was the fifth starter on the club at that time, and wasn't the Feller he'd been (earlier in his career). I had great respected for Feller. I idolized him. He was a great pitcher. One of the best in baseball for a long time. But by then (1954), he was going down hill." Indians manager Al Lopez in Tales From the Tribe Dugout

In the 1956 season, Feller started just four games and appeared in 15 others, and finished with an 0–4 record and career-worst 4.97 ERA. The Indians held "Bob Feller Night" on September 9, to honor the franchise's winningest pitcher. He appeared in his last major league game on September 30.

After the season had ended, speculation built whether Feller, who was also president of the Baseball Players' Association, would retire as a player. In December 1956, Feller told The Plain Dealer: "I will return to Cleveland later this week and plan to confer with Hank Greenberg before Christmas. I hope to reach a decision at that time." Greenberg had also offered Feller his release or a job with the Indians in their front office. Greenberg said, "We sincerely want Feller to remain with us. As far as I'm concerned, there will always be a job waiting for Bob in the Cleveland organization." On December 28 Feller officially retired from the Indians as a player to continue his work selling insurance. Announcing his retirement, Feller said, "I could have gone with a couple other ball clubs, but anything I might have done with them would have taken the edge off the success I have had with the Cleveland club the last 20 years." He continued, "What if I did pitch another year, so what? I would have to come to the decision I am making now, some time."

Many baseball historians have speculated that Feller may have won perhaps 350 games with well over 3,000 strikeouts had he not joined the military. Remarking on his duty in the military and subsequent absence from playing in the big leagues, Feller noted "I know in my heart I would have ended up a lot closer to 400 than 300 if I hadn't spent four seasons in the Navy. But don't take that as a complaint. I'm happy I got home in one piece."

There is footage of a Feller fastball being clocked by Army ordnance equipment (used to measure artillery shell velocity) and registering at 98.6 mph (159 kph). However, this took place in the later years of his career and the speed of the ball was measured as it crossed the plate (whereas later methods measure the speed as it leaves the pitcher's hand). With primitive equipment Feller was at one point measured at 105 mph (169 kph). Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph (167 kph) at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He also threw the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at 107.6 mph (173.2 kph), in a game in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. He was clocked at 107.9 mph (173.6 kph). Feller said a 1974 test involving Nolan Ryan would have no such restriction and as columnist Milton Richman wrote, Feller said "Sandy Koufax had the best live fast ball he ever saw." Feller wrote "If someone were to ask me who the fastest pitcher in the history of the game was, I'd say Walter Johnson, but he was never clocked."

Ted Williams said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. I'd sit in my room thinking about him all the time. God I loved it...Allie Reynolds of the Yankees was tough, and I might think about him for 24 hours before a game, but Robert Feller: I'd think about him for three days."

He spent his entire career of 18 seasons with the Indians, being one of "The Big Four" Indians pitching rotation in the 1950s, along with Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia. His fastball was nicknamed "the Van Meter Heater." He shares the Major League record (with Nolan Ryan) for one-hitters with 12. Feller was the first pitcher to win 20 or more games before the age of 21. He ended his career with 266 wins, 2,581 strikeouts and 279 complete games. He led the AL in strikeouts seven times and bases on balls four times. Feller attributed his stamina and ability to pitch late into games to the manual labor he engaged in as a farm hand. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1962, his first year of eligibility. Feller and was elected along with Jackie Robinson—the two had traded criticisms at one another on and off over the course of several decades—who were both the first to be elected on their first ballot appearance since the original induction class of 1936. After Feller had been admitted to hospice, a reporter released a story recalling an interview with an aged Feller where he brought up Feller and Robinson's occasional dislike for each other. "They overhyped Jackie Robinson. He was a good baserunner. He was a fair hitter. He was an average second baseman. He was not as good a ballplayer as Larry Doby. There were a lot of better black ballplayers than Jackie Robinson," said Feller.

When Feller retired in 1956, he held the major league record for most walks in a career (1,764). He holds the 20th century record for most walks in a season (208 in 1938). The Indians retired his jersey number, 19, in 1957.