[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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