[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 169 (Saturday, December 18, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10703-S10704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING AND HONORING BOB FELLER

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 703, submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 703) recognizing and honoring Bob 
     Feller and expressing the condolences of the Senate to his 
     family on his death.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, today I have submitted a resolution 
honoring Robert ``Bob'' Feller, who passed away 2 days ago.
  Bob Feller was a great Iowan, great baseball player, and most 
importantly, a great patriot.
  He was born and raised in Van Meter, IA. His father ran the family 
farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and teacher. His father 
built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named ``Oak View Park.'' 
Feller attended Van Meter High School, where he was a starting pitcher. 
Feller recalled his childhood: ``What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led 
in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds.''
  Bob Feller went on to have one of the greatest baseball careers ever. 
His career spanned 16 seasons, during which he had 2,581 strikeouts and 
266 wins. He had three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters. It is no surprise 
that Mr. Feller was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first 
year of eligibility.
  But, we do not just honor Feller because of his athletic 
achievements. We recognize him as a great American and patriot. He 
served our Nation in the Navy during World War II, enlisting 2 days 
after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although he lost four baseball 
seasons due to his war service, he never regretted his choice.
  Feller said recently, ``A lot of folks say that had I not missed 
those almost four seasons to World War II--during what was probably my 
physical prime--I might have had 370 or even 400 wins. But I have no 
regrets. None at all. I did what any American could and should do: 
serve his country in its time of need. The world's time of need. I knew 
then, and I know today, that winning World War II was the most 
important thing to happen to this country in the last 100 years.''
  Mr. President, this week we lost a great American.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 703) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 703

       Whereas Robert William Andrew (``Bob'') Feller was born on 
     November 3, 1918, near Van Meter, Iowa;
       Whereas Bob Feller learned to play baseball on his parents' 
     farm in Dallas County, Iowa, and commented that ``What kid 
     wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, 
     and I had the best of both worlds'';
       Whereas Feller attended Van Meter High School where he 
     pitched for the baseball team;
       Whereas Feller, at the age of 17, joined the Cleveland 
     Indians, where he played for 18 years, his entire career;
       Whereas Feller led the American League in wins 6 times;
       Whereas Feller led the American League in strikeouts 7 
     times;
       Whereas Feller pitched 3 no-hitters, including the only 
     Opening Day no-hitter, and shares the major league record 
     with 12 one-hitters;
       Whereas Feller was an 8-time All-Star;
       Whereas Feller was a key member of the 1948 World Series 
     Champion Cleveland Indians;
       Whereas Feller threw the second fastest pitch ever 
     officially recorded, at 107.6 miles per hour;
       Whereas Feller ended his career with 266 victories and 
     2,581 strikeouts;
       Whereas Feller remains the winningest pitcher in Cleveland 
     Indians history;
       Whereas Feller was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 
     1962, his first year of eligibility;
       Whereas Feller enlisted in the Navy 2 days after the attack 
     on Pearl Harbor in 1941;
       Whereas Feller served with valor in the Navy for nearly 4 
     years, missing almost 4 full baseball seasons;
       Whereas Feller was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Alabama as a 
     gunnery specialist;
       Whereas Feller earned 8 battle stars and was discharged in 
     late 1945; and
       Whereas Bob Feller, one of the greatest baseball players of 
     all time, placed service to his country ahead of all else: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors Bob Feller for transcending the sport of 
     baseball in service to the United States and the cause of 
     democracy and freedom in World War II;
       (2) recognizes Bob Feller as one of the greatest baseball 
     players of all time; and
       (3) extends its deepest condolences to the family of Bob 
     Feller.

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
speak about this last resolution. Bob Feller was a Clevelander through 
and through. Senator Harkin is the prime sponsor of this resolution. I 
have joined him on it. Senator Harkin sponsored the resolution because 
Bob Feller was born in Van Meter, IA.
  He was signed by the Cleveland Indians at the age of 16, apparently 
for $1 and an autographed baseball. He struck out 15 batters in his 
first Major League start. He struck out 17 in a game at the age of 17. 
He is the only Major League player in history to strike out in one game 
the number of batters comparable to his age.
  His greatness was he was, perhaps, the hardest throwing pitcher ever 
in Major League Baseball. He pitched three no-hitters, then a record. 
It has been passed since. He pitched 12 one-hitters also, sharing that 
Major League record.
  He would have shattered, perhaps, all pitching records short of Cy 
Young's number of career wins, perhaps, and Walter Johnson's, if he had 
not served his country for almost 4 years in World War II.
  He gladly did it. He won eight battle stars. He served on the USS 
Alabama as a gunnery specialist. He was so proud of his service to his 
country. He turned down a huge contract with the Indians in 1942--huge 
in those days--to join the military to serve his country. He spoke 
about it frequently and was always very proud of that service.
  He barnstormed the country with Satchel Page, the great Black pitcher 
who was not allowed in the Major Leagues in those days before the color 
line was broken. Feller and he traveled the country in the ``White 
Major League Baseball'' offseason and drew huge crowds, with Page and 
he facing each other in game after game after game.
  He was a key member of the last Indians World Championship in 1948.
  I saw Bob Feller pitch once. I was 4 years old, so I do not really 
remember it. My dad took my brothers Bob and Charlie and me to Bob 
Feller Day at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in, I believe, 1957.
  My dad loved Bob Feller. He was a legend in Cleveland. His statue is 
the only professional athlete's statue in Cleveland. Right outside 
Jacobs Field, on East 9th Street, you can see Bob Feller's statue, with 
his famous windup.
  When you go to an Indians game in the new ballpark at Progressive 
Field--new, it is now more than 15 years old--when you go to the 
ballpark, people always say: I will meet you at the Bob Feller statue. 
That is sort of the place where you meet up with your friends and get 
your tickets and all of that.
  He brought great joy to so many, such as my father. He was, perhaps, 
the greatest pitcher who ever lived. He died at the age of 92 in Gates 
Mill. He is survived by his wife Anne; his children Steve, Martin, and 
Bruce.
  I was proud to have gotten to speak a number of times to Bob Feller. 
I do not pretend to have known him well. But he was always a major 
presence in Cleveland baseball and a major presence in Cleveland civic 
life. We are all grateful to him and indebted to him for his service to 
his country in World War II and to our community before, during, and 
after World War II. So I wanted to honor with that resolution, with 
Senator Harkin, his name and his life.

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