January 18, 1950: Bob Feller Takes $20,000 Pay Cut...Feller's Own Suggestion

[Tock Ada Shot]

JAN 18: FELLER ACCEPTS PAY CUT
https://todayinbaseball.com/feller-pay/
Excerpts from the todayinbaseball.com article:

"After winning 24, 27, 25, 26 and 20 games, then dropping down to 19 and 15 wins, future Hall of Famer Bob Feller not only accepted but suggested a 25% pay cut from the Cleveland Indians."

"At $80,000 Feller was the highest paid player in the majors a few seasons earlier. His pay was cut $20,000 in 1950. Of course, this was before the days of free agency. The owners pretty much dictated salary terms. Players could accept them or go work for a living. Feller seemed resigned to the pay cut. While negotiations were going on he told the Associated Press that he was “not altogether unhappy. We seem to agree on almost everything.”

"It turned out Feller had some good years still in him. He went 16-11 in 1950 and startling 22-8 in 1951. Like many other ball-players he missed some of his most productive seasons, 1942, ‘43 and ’44, to serve in the military during World War II."

"The Van Meter, Iowa native finished his career with 266 win and 162 losses, a .621 winning percentage. He led the American League in wins six times. Bob Feller was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1962."
====================================================================================================

BOB FELLER
https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/feller-bob
Excerpts from the baseballhall.org article:

"Robert William Andrew Feller
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1962
Primary team: Cleveland Indians
Primary position: Pitcher"

"(My father) made a home plate in the yard, and I’d throw to him over it. He even built me a pitching rubber. When I was twelve, we built a ball field on our farm. We fenced off the pasture, put up the chicken wire and the benches and even a little grandstand behind first base. We formed our own team and played other teams from around the community on weekends. " -- Bob Feller

"“It wasn't until you hit against him that you knew how fast he really was, until you saw with your own eyes that ball jumping at you.” – Ted Lyons"

"Bob Feller began his major league journey in 1936, at age 17, fresh off his family’s farm in Van Meter, Iowa. It was during his rookie season that Feller earned the nickname “Rapid Robert” because of his devastating fastball and high strikeout totals."

"He made his first major league start in August, striking out 15 St. Louis Browns. A month later, he set an American League rookie record fanning 17 Philadelphia Athletics in a game. Upon completion of his rookie campaign, Feller returned home to Iowa to finish his senior year of high school – his graduation was covered by NBC Radio."

"Just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Feller put aside his 3-C draft deferment status and enlisted in the US Navy. With this selfless act, he gave up nearly four seasons of baseball in the prime of his career.
But Feller had no regrets."

"“I'm proud of that decision to enlist,” Feller said. “It was important to serve your country. I didn't worry about losing my baseball career. We needed to win the war. I wanted to do my part.”

"At the time of his passing on Dec. 15, 2010, Feller had been a Hall of Famer for more years than anyone in history – having earned election in 1962."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Feller - Baseball Hall of Fame Biographies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bii8d-IuXc0
====================================================================================================

Bob Feller
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bob-feller/
Excerpts from the sabr.org article:

"For his 18-year major-league career, Feller won 266 games against 162 losses.111 At 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, he was on the short side for a right-handed pitcher by contemporary standards. Both Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio labeled him the greatest pitcher either had ever seen.112 Although he lost almost four full seasons to service in World War II during the prime of his career, he still led the American League in victories six times and in strikeouts seven times. With his three no-hitters, 12 one-hitters, 279 complete games, and 44 shutouts, he was the dominant pitcher of his generation and one of the greatest of all time."

"Feller was still throwing a baseball every day well into his 80s and claimed to have thrown a baseball more often than any man in history.110 The last time he pitched was at an exhibition game in Cooperstown in June 2009, at the age of 90."

"Feller was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2010 and died on December 15 of that year. He was 92 years old."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Feller Pitches at the Baseball Hall of Fame Classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2so-MArzus
====================================================================================================

Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller and a USS Alabama Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVC1Vj8nhcs

Bob Feller Act of Valor Display
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUF8xiW49WI

Senior Chief Awarded Bob Feller Act of Valor Award
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIXHJtu-qIA

2020 BOB FELLER ACT OF VALOR AWARDS
https://www.navy.mil/Resources/NAVAD...-valor-awards/

Sports: Last Word: Bob Feller - nytimes.com/video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxPBt_5sruw

High-Kicking Pitching Legend 'Bullet Bob' Feller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGokv7T1CaU

Rare Photos of Bob Feller
https://www.si.com/mlb/2010/12/23/22...pid=bob-feller
====================================================================================================

Related nyyfansforum articles:

What military award was named for Bob Feller
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...for-bob-feller

April 16, 1940: Bob Feller Pitches Only Opening Day No-Hitter in MLB History
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...in-mlb-history

[fredgmuggs]

I know Feller had the reputation of being a cranky opinionated get off my lawn type but I saw him signing autographs at a card show once upon a time and he was genuine decent guy . He was sincerely appreciative of everyone wanting his autograph, he chatted with everyone, and gave them his full attention. He respected the fans which you don't always see.

[Tock Ada Shot]

I know Feller had the reputation of being a cranky opinionated get off my lawn type but I saw him signing autographs at a card show once upon a time and he was genuine decent guy . He was sincerely appreciative of everyone wanting his autograph, he chatted with everyone, and gave them his full attention. He respected the fans which you don't always see.

Nice to hear. Sad that so many pros forget where they came from and that without fans, they're unemployed.
Also, what I like most about Feller was that he was one our greatest baseball veterans.

[HelloNewman]

I know Feller had the reputation of being a cranky opinionated get off my lawn type but I saw him signing autographs at a card show once upon a time and he was genuine decent guy . He was sincerely appreciative of everyone wanting his autograph, he chatted with everyone, and gave them his full attention. He respected the fans which you don't always see.

I've mentioned this in a previous Feller-related thread but in 1993 in my youthful reporter days, he granted me a brief interview during a break in a book-signing he was doing in Kinston, NC. He was awesome. Curmudgeonly but not in an off-putting way. Booming voice still at age 75. And some great quotes.

[HelloNewman]

Also, what I like most about Feller was that he was one our greatest baseball veterans.

Sworn in to the Navy by heavyweight boxing legend Gene Tunney, "The Fighting Marine."

In the interview I mentioned above, I remember him saying something to the effect of, "all the time I'm over in the Pacific I'm reading the newspapers they sent to us and the writers kept saying that the ballplayers who went to war were heroes. The hell we were. The heroes were the ones who didn't come back."

[HelloNewman]

Interesting that Feller asked for a pay cut. If you're interested, here's an interview he did with Mike Wallace a year after his retirement. He sounds ahead of his time in advocating for player rights (warning, this is a half-hour interview):

[Tock Ada Shot]

Interesting that Feller asked for a pay cut. If you're interested, here's an interview he did with Mike Wallace a year after his retirement. He sounds ahead of his time in advocating for player rights (warning, this is a half-hour interview):

Thanks for all the great reply posts with all the most interesting stuff of all. Really do appreciate all your additions.

[HelloNewman]

Thanks for all the great reply posts with all the most interesting stuff of all. Really do appreciate all your additions.

Nah, thanks to you for all these historic entries that are keeping this section of the forum alive. People who appreciate baseball history are few and far between.

[Tock Ada Shot]

Nah, thanks to you for all these historic entries that are keeping this section of the forum alive. People who appreciate baseball history are few and far between.

Thank you. It's actually a lot of fun.
LOL...like someone said once..."the more I learn the less I know"...LOL...