Bob Feller Pitching

[idontknow750]

I have a ball from about 1964 signed by him and Herb Score, anyone have any idea how much it may be worth?

[brianCIM]

@idontknow750 that's pretty amazing. i am sure it's worth a small fortune. Herb Score was a pretty good friend of my grandfather's. My grandfather, who was the first president of the Wahoo club, said besides being a kind gentlemen, his velocity was pretty scary. We have had 1st row, 1st base tickets for 40 years in my family. When my grandfather thought it was a hopeless cause and leave at the 7th inning stretch, Score would say, "well folks, the Big Buffalo is going home.

[idontknow750]

@brianCIM Thats very cool. You a big indians fan?

[jr55ful]

same kind of body torque and long stride towards the plate as lincicum. feller was only 5'11" so his mechanics made the difference.

[71alexisdolphins]

@jr55ful lincecum extexnds his leg wayyy more than feller did and feller hides the fastball better then lincecum..

[redsoxking10]

those mechanics helped him throw harder its sad how today's pitchers lack deception and creativity in their delivery lincecum is the exception

[SwalotAGF]

He was great, but is a true ass hole. My dad asked for his autograph at a dinner and he said no because his hand hurt....

[SimpleStuff31]

hes like 90 dude and used to throw 105 what do think his hands gonna feel like

[Tampa370]

I was at Al Lang Stadium in the mid 80's and they would have a Bob Feller night once a season. Back then it was the St.Petersburg Cardinals A club, now the Ray's A club plays there. He would signed one Autograph for free for any in the stadium. Maybe he has an attitude but he sign FREE autograph back then something many player or former players won't do.

[shockazooloo]

So is the director of his museum...A true jack ass if I've ever seen one! He doesn't know how to manage...Scott Havick to let you know...

[NJPlayer79]

Not to nitpick but I think Bobby Doerr is the longest living Hall of Famer at 91 years of age...

[Moose4Choice]

There is avideo somewhere of a guy on a motorcycle going 98 mph and Feller's pitch arriving at the plate at the same time. That is how he was "clocked."

You have to rely on what players who faced him have to say about his heat. Johnson said he thought Feller was faster than he was. Feller, like Spahn, lost time in WW2. They could have won a lot more games. The fact is Feller and Spahn helped win pennants, both are in the Hall of Fame, both great pitchers. Speed is not everything.

[Gerkinstock]

One major difference between the two is that Spahn had a long career, throwing a couple no-hitters and winning up to 23 games in his early 40's. Feller was done at age 35 by comparison. Feller's three seasons of 300+ innings and 100+ walks may have worn him down, where Spahn seemed to have a rubber arm, much like Greg Maddux.

[kardiackid75]

Sped is a huge factor but if the pitch is out of the strike zone it doesn't mean anyting but a ball. If I'm not mistaken there is a picture taken also that proves that the curveball pitch does indeed curve. At the time some people said it did't. That it was just an imagination to the batter.

[Tampa370]

You talk about WW2, in fact I live near Mobile AL now and there is the Battleship Alamba there and that is where Feller served.

[brush442000]

Got to meet "The Heater from Van Meter"at his museum a few weeks ago. What a nice man. Gave my wife an I a personal tour of his museum. What a thrill. In spite of all his great baseball achievements, the thing he is most proud of is his service to our country in the Navy during WW2. They don't make them like Bob anymore.

[shockazooloo]

Bob is an old crotchety fool and the museum director Scott Havick is a prick who is responsible for running it into the ground!!!

[Gerkinstock]

He is the oldest living baseball Hall of Famer. He'll be 91 in November 2009.

[AlecBoy006]

Lee Macphail and Bobby Doerr are both older.

[carrytheflag61]

i got a mini batting helmet signed by "Rapid Robert"

[WesMantO0th]

feller could throw some fuckin heat

[SovietskiiSniper]

he was clocked at 98.6mph

[WesMantO0th]

ok...?

[SovietskiiSniper]

Lol, it's not answer, it's like I felt I had to put up a number aside your fuckin' heat.

A bit more precise in mph than in the three level gage:

gas

heat

fuckin' heat

LOL.

Beside he got clocked after the 2nd worl war, he was believed to pitch even harder prior the conflict.

[zandersagwa]

They also clocked it when the pitched crossed home right? If I'm wrong correct me on that, but if they clocked it coming out of his hand he might have touched 100.

[SimpleStuff31]

no he hit 98.6 at the plate which is like 110 now

[McJesus35]

they could clock ppl bk then?

[SovietskiiSniper]

What's ironical?

As we started to teach more drills and mechanics, we killed many of these beautiful motion in the name of being safe.

Now, pitchers throw less often and for a smaller lenght. They are mostly robotic and we never see this much injuries i nbaseball history.

Where's the problem? Obviously, teachign mechanics this way. Promote key goals liek great stride, late arm movement, but not the way to do it. Pitchers must find how on their own. Feller did, Lincecum did.

[SovietskiiSniper]

*never saw

[SovietskiiSniper]

His motion is so pure, so elegant, so fluent. It seems like his body has set this motion for itself and on its own.

He's a pure piece. One of the most beautiful motion I ever saw.

Lincecum reminds us of this old time where pitchers had high kicks. Just put him aside Feller and Koufax. You could be astonished by the similarities.

[SovietskiiSniper]

Actually, Lincecum and Feller aren't so similar to a normal amateur ey; you have to go further for sequnces as Feller is 3/4 and Lincecum over the top.

The back timing and action, the arm split. But teh most obvious is at the start: both show clearly their back and base their power onto this rotation.

Between Koufax and Lincecum, it's going way more obvious. Same arm slot, same arm action, same sky pointing with their glove, huge stride and many others more technical.

[wyopride9200]

dummy. the armcan not handle a ball thrown over around 105 mph. Zumaya hit 104 in a minor league game once.

[theprizoner]

Bob Feller was one of the best ever - he was also fast, but not the fastest ever. Neither was anyone else named Ryan, Wohlers etc. You want FAST? Steve Dalkowski was the epitome - FAST PERSONIFIED. Try 105-115 mph depending on source. That he did not know where the ball was going often was beside the point - Bob Feller too suffered from this malady: in his first 9 'complete' seasons BF walked no less than 103 each and every- he walked 208 one year in 277 2/3 innings, striking out 240.

[theprizoner]

Dalkowski? In 170 ML innings struck out 262 batters...and also walked the same number - 262.

It was said Feller was afraid to hit batters because he threw so hard...Dalkowski was even more terrifying (stories ranging from putting an ump in the hospital & tearing off the ear a batter.)

Ted Williams himself said of Steve Dalkowski - "The fastest ever, I never want to face him again."

[theprizoner]

Dalkowski who was in the BALT system, elicited this from former Oriole Manager Earl Weaver: "He was unbelievable. He threw a lot faster than (Nolan) Ryan."

Nuff said...check out 'The Legend' Steve Dalkowski - Goggle his name.

Having said as much, congratulations on reaching 90 Mr. Feller...years that is.

[rockerduff1231]

you are a very wise person my good man thanks for the info...god I love baseball

[katiekoep]

he is my great unkl to.

[bionicbigfoot]

Ted Williams always said the two toughest pitchers he ever faced were Bob Lemon and Rapid Robert Feller. That pretty much says it all.

[crazydeaf9]

damn bob overpowered that kid

[Beth0848]

Hey, im related to him he's my great uncle

[bionicbigfoot]

Rapid Robert. Heat.

[RATkins741]

Was that hitter a player or an actor? That was a truly weak attempt!

[wjb4341]

Well ... the hitter was probably a player but he was just prop. He was not actually trying to hit the ball.

You don't see it anymore, but up until the late 1960's most pitchers would have a batter stand there at the plate while they warmed up. It was to simulate a more realistic game situation target.

They still do it today when a pitcher is rehabbing from an injury and throws a "simulated game" .... but in the 1940's it was just how pitchers warmed up.

[champEonSk8r4lyfe]

Feller hit 107mph once on this army radar gun thingy back in the day...true story

[BobbyDobby]

It was 98.

[thekillercure21]

Feller supposed 107 mph ball was recorded by the old way of measuring, when they had people using stopwatches, so it's the unofficial fastest pitch ever.

[crazydeaf9]

bob himself said he hit 107 on ESPN

[bllylester5555]

dude no way he is my distant uncle crazy huh we dont have the same the same last name tho

[vegetardian]

hey he is my distant cousin on my dads side. we hav the same last name. pretty cool.

[futureKazmir]

bullshit

[vegetardian]

ok u dont hav 2 believe me but its true. i dont hav his skill by any means tho.

[DiMagRocks]

Why is it so hard to believe? Wouldn't you think ex-ballplayers would have distant relatives?

[NWAsMostWanted]

one of the greatest power pitchers of all time. one of my favorite baseball players ever

[Saturn100]

Do you know where this was filmed? Looks like maybe the old League Park in Cleveland.

[ubersoxfan001]

it couldnt be, because Municipal Stadium opened in '32, and Feller came up in '36

[Saturn100]

Actually, from 1934 to 1946 the Indians still played at League Park during the week. They only used Municipal Stadium on weekends and holidays because of its size. In '47 they moved to Municipal Stadium full time. I'm still wondering if this clip is from League Park because it doesn't look like Municipal Stadium. Although it could obviously be a road game. But the uniform looks like a home one!

[ubersoxfan001]

my goodness, i had forgotten that fact! i apologize.