# R.I.P. Bob Feller **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 16, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406 "2010-12-16T19:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406/21 "2010-12-19T11:13:12Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Often the case? No one else you mention compares with Feller. Ryan wasn’t a good pitcher; Spahn had one year in the majors, with a record of 0-0, before WWII took him out; Palmer broke in at age 20, and missed one season at age 22. Oh, I decided to address your obnoxious nonsense about Palmer and Spahn. [Palmer](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palmeji01.shtml) missed an entire season at age 22, that’s true, and that’s sufficient for an example of a pitcher who was under-used early in his career, but he also pitched only 49 innings the season before. Or are you going to come back now and sneer that 49 innings in a season is a heavy workload. “Oh, I didn’t know that 49 innings counts as as a light pitching load. Oh, I’ve been schooled! Oh, it’s terrible!!” Like that? ANd WTF difference does it make that Spahn was not established as a MLB pitcher before being serving in combat in WWII for three years as a young man? The point is it’s hard to strain your pitching arm when you don’t throw a fucking pitch for three years–is that so hard for you to understand? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406/22 "2010-12-19T13:06:38Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > For all post-WWII 300 game winners, first full ML season of 200 or more innings: > > Warren Spahn 26 > Greg Maddux 22 > Roger Clemens 23 > Steve Carlton 23 > Nolan Ryan 25 > Don Sutton 21 > Phil Niekro 28 > Gaylord Perry 25 > Tom Seaver 22 > Tom Glavine 24 > Randy Johnson 26 > Early Wynn 23 Good, that’s evidence. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406/23 "2010-12-19T13:50:41Z")
I don’t understand what you people think is evidence. Feller was able, as a 17-year-old high school student to strike out eight of the nine batters in an exhibition game with a MLB team. Before the age of 18 he was able to equal the major league record of 17 strikeouts in a game. So you compare this to a bunch of guys who weren’t good enough the do anything similar until they were years older and assume that Feller would have faltered without his WWII holiday. Why? What do his achievements have to do with the limits on the talents of other people? ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406/24 "2010-12-19T14:01:15Z")
Because he’s human, and the patterns of other humans are relevant to the discussion. He has far more in common with other MLB pitchers than with any other group, even though he’s a outlier in many ways with other MLB pitchers. I don’t assume he would have faltered without taking a 3 1/2 year break–but he might have, because extended rest due to injury and military service have played a part in other pitchers’ durability. What I DO reject is the categorical statement that WWII cost him numerous victories–in the long run, maybe they gained him some victories. His record is what it is, not what it coulda woulda shoulda been. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406/25 "2010-12-19T22:26:29Z")
[This feller must be pretty good if he don’t need any other players but himself!](http://presscoverage.us/news/call-of-the-day-abbott-and-costellos-rare-bob-feller-comedy-routine/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-bob-feller/564406.md?page=1)