Bob Feller passes away

[RedsBaron]

R.I.P.
In his later years Feller sometimes came across as the ultimate "get off my lawn" cranky old man, but he was both a terrific pitcher and a fierce patriot.

[cumberlandreds]

One of the best. I always liked how he never blamed being in WWII for his career records being less than what they would have been if he had not gone to war. He was very proud of his military part of his life and felt it was his duty to go. But if not for WWII he would have won over 300 games and easily passed 3,000 strikeouts. R.I.P. Bob Feller

[George Anderson]

One of the best. I always liked how he never blamed being in WWII for his career records being less than what they would have been if he had not gone to war. He was very proud of his military part of his life and felt it was his duty to go. But if not for WWII he would have won over 300 games and easily passed 3,000 strikeouts. R.I.P. Bob Feller

Feller was the very first MLB player to volunteer for the military after Pearl Harbor was bombed.

[Big Klu]

Feller was the very first MLB player to volunteer for the military after Pearl Harbor was bombed.

I thought Hank Greenberg was the first.

[George Anderson]

I thought Hank Greenberg was the first.

My source

Stirred by Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy the following day—the first major league player to do so. He served as a gun captain on the USS Alabama, earning several battle commendations and medals.http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-obit-feller

[Roy Tucker]

R.I.P.
In his later years Feller sometimes came across as the ultimate "get off my lawn" cranky old man, but he was both a terrific pitcher and a fierce patriot.

Well said, RB. RIP , Bob.

My son and I got his autograph a couple times and he was kind and gracious to me and my son. Talked to my son for about 15 minutes about baseball. Zach had no idea who he was at the time and thought he was just some grandpa guy.

[Big Klu]

Looks like we have conflicting sources:

In May 1940, Greenberg's baseball career was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. One of baseball's highest paid stars, his salary dropped from $11,000 to $21 per month. In August, Congress decided that men over 28 years old need not serve, and Greenberg was honorably discharged. He planned to return to the Tigers the next season, but on December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declared war. Greenberg was the first major leaguer to enlist in the Army, even though he had been excused from serving. While he could have had a stateside job as an athletic instructor, Greenberg chose to serve in the Army Air Corps in the China Burma-India Theater, where he had a distinguished record.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...greenberg.html

[westofyou]

I thought Hank Greenberg was the first.

Greenberg and Hugh "Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy were the first DRAFTED, prior to Pearl Harbor. Greenberg served and was released. he then re-enlisted as soon as PH occurred.

[westofyou]

Billy Southworth Jr, an outfielder with the Toronto Maple Leafs and son of the St Louis Cardinals' manager, was one of the first professional ballplayers to enter military service by voluntarily enlisting in the Army Air Corps in December 1940. "I think it's my duty to enlist because they're going to need us," Southworth had confided to his father earlier in the year. "My baseball career can wait."

Southworth like Joe Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash in the service, this haunted his father and sent him into a spiral of boozing, he lost his job and was resurrected as the manager of the 1948 Braves, who happened to lose to Fellers Indians.

[redsmetz]

The Des Moines Register has a nice page up for Feller with some various articles:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/section/bobfeller

[Sea Ray]

Looks like we have conflicting sources:

In May 1940, Greenberg's baseball career was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. One of baseball's highest paid stars, his salary dropped from $11,000 to $21 per month. In August, Congress decided that men over 28 years old need not serve, and Greenberg was honorably discharged. He planned to return to the Tigers the next season, but on December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declared war. Greenberg was the first major leaguer to enlist in the Army, even though he had been excused from serving. While he could have had a stateside job as an athletic instructor, Greenberg chose to serve in the Army Air Corps in the China Burma-India Theater, where he had a distinguished record.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...greenberg.html

I can't believe Army enlistees were only paid $21/mo. Is that right? They made only $250/yr?