European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 34 the stars and stripes sports thursday. June 2,1994 a Fite Felt photo for s&5 by senior airman Andrew j. Rice Bob Feller left in 1937, greets the Bogan boys of Ramstein twins Matthew left and Brandon 6, and Steven 9, sons of Mike Bogan wednesday at the Ramstein commissary. Commissioner Hall of Fame by boo Odem staff writer. Ramstein a Germany a look for George Mitchell of Maine the Senate majority Leader who is retiring this year to become the next baseball commissioner. Feller is As sure of it As is his right Arm which won 266 games and put him into the Hall of Fame. Quot he a a Good Man for baseball and will wic Uhic Power that is needed for that Job a a Feller said. Feller fans were lined up 120 deep at the Start of the autograph session at the Ramstein commissary Early wednesday afternoon. For three hours Feller worked that famous Arm like he would have pitched three games signing everything a balls hats pictures shirts slips of paper and possibly a soup can a for Young and old alike. Unlike some who charge $50 a signature no one paid a dime for Fellers. From the younger generation you May get a Quot who a Bob Feller a to anyone who knows baseball history. Feller ranks As one of the All time great pitchers. The intercom at the commissary when he was being introduced addressed him As Quot the greatest Feller representing the major league baseball players alumni which is sponsored by Campbell soup was accommodating to everyone but very outspoken. And he did no to minced words when discussing baseball owners and players. The 75-year-old Silver haired Feller who signed at 16 years of age with the Cleveland indians and pitched Alt 18 years with them now works for the club. The native of Van meter Iowa 20 Miles West of Des Moines is As proud of his military record As his baseball. Quot baseball is just a game the military is so much More important than Feller was the first pro athlete to Volunteer for the service after Pearl Harbor joining the Navy 1v5 Days later. Quot i was on the train to Chicago the next Day and i knew Gene Tunney the former world heavyweight boxing Champion personally and he was head of physical fitness for the Navy. 1 went to him the next morning and joined. A to a Strong military Man a Feller said. A i believe in everyone that is in the military. We need to support it Arm writes on and on More and More in this Day and time. We have to keep our country Sovereign and trued Feller spent years in the Navy reaching the rank of chief Petty officer. He served first in the Atlantic and then the Pacific lie was an anti aircraft gunner aboard the battleship Alabama now moored in Mobile Bay. His bunk aboard the ship is marked As he was invited Back for the ships Selth anniversary aug 23,1992. Proud of his military Battle stars As is the three no hitters 2,581 strikeouts 46 shutouts and an impressive 279 Complete games Feller left baseball in the Middle Feller s itinerary at three other Bob Feller will make appearances commissaries in Germany this week today a Heidelberg 1 30-4 30 . Friday a Hanau 1 30-4 30 . Saturday Vilseck 1 30-4 30 . Of his prime right after winning 24 games in 1939, 27 in 40 and.25 in �?T41. He rejoined the indians in september of �?T45. So he virtually lost four years. Many purists think he could have won upwards of 100 More games had he not gone to the service. Feller did no to have to join. Being the Only son in a farm family he was classified 3-c because his father was sick with cancer. But the 6-foot, 185-Pound Flamethrower wanted to serve. It was ironic that Feller who claims to be 90 per cent German extraction i both my great grandfathers were bom in German was on the Alabama when it Sank the sister ship of the mighty Bismarck in the North Atlantic. Feller thinks Mitchell will be a great asset to baseball. He says some of the nonsense that is going on today will be eliminated such As charging the Mound and free for alls with heavy fines and suspensions. Quot those incidents Are Good for to but not for baseball. If 1 was in baseball now i would stay in the dugout and sit Back and clap a he said. J Feller thinks the game is still the same inside the lines but very different outside. Quot the players and owners Are at Odds on everything. The owners Are scared to death of the players. They can to handle them and the players will Tell them where to go. The owners will Cave in every it was Feller who helped create a Strong players Union. He was Cleveland a player represent Ive a the player reps and the pension committee must get together the owners and players must choose the commissioner together a he said Quot there is no common sense Between Feller feels that today a players Are a better athletes but not better players than those in his Day a half of the players done to know the rules. They Only know their agents phone numbers. And most of the agents Are poor lawyers who can to make it on the outside a there Are no great pitchers or hitters in the game today a he added. Quot there is no one like a Seaver Gibson Koufax or Carlton who enters the Hall of Fame this year. The Best Pitcher out there is now is Atlanta a Greg mad Duff. Pitchers have to have five consecutive Good years before i will evaluate Feller called Bostons Ted Williams who hit .406 in 1941, the greatest hitter that Ever lived. A you never saw him swing at a bad Joe Dimaggio was the a greatest player and Rogers Hornsby the Quot Best right handed he faced them All. A Joe hit me better than Ted. I pitched Ted inside and got him out a said Feller. On the late Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig a the liked a High fast Ball but hit the curve. I kept the fastball Down and in a. Fellers greatest year was 1946, when he won 26 games and also the All Star game in Boston was the j Ever he Yankees in Yankee stadium and led the league with 348 strikeouts in 371 innings. I car it of Fame in 1962 along with Jackie Robinson. He won 20 or More games six times had career Era of 3.25, was the american league strikeout Leader six years hurled the Only no hit Norun game on opening Day 1940and pitched in eight All Star games. Teller discusses his three sons Steve Marty and Bruce an Mit Grad with Pride. Steve is the architect of the 5500,000 Feller museum being constructed in Van meter
