The Heater From Van Meter

When I was in elementary school I wrote a book report about Bob Feller, the Hall of Fame pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.  I suspect that book was "Bob Feller:  Hall of Fame Strikeout Star" by Gene Schoor, front and center in the third photograph.  Schoor was a sportswriter who specialized in quickie biographies of athletes.  He didn't go to games but based his writing on the work of of other writers, making him somewhat of a scoundrel.  Anyway, I was amused at Marty Appel's memory of writing book reports based on one of Schoor's books (I probably read that Mickey Mantle book, too!).

Back to Feller.  He was raised on a farm near Van Meter, Iowa.  It was apparent from a very young age that he was born to play baseball.  His father built a baseball field, complete with grandstand, on the farm for young Feller.  Interesting thing to do in Iowa.  Feller signed a contract while still in high school and, through some shenanigans by the scout that signed him, managed to go straight to the Cleveland Indians at age 17 without pitching in the minors.  Feller was probably the fastest pitcher in major league history.  He went on to pitch three no-hitters (including one on opening day), twelve one-hitters, 266 wins, and 2581 strikeouts.  All that despite missing the better part of four seasons while he served in World War II.  He didn't win a World Series game but he was a member of the Indians 1948 World Series winners.

Earlier in the 1948 season the Indians were playing at Yankee Stadium.  Babe Ruth was dying and made his farewell appearance at the stadium before the game.  To steady himself Ruth grabbed a bat, Feller's bat, and walked onto the field.  The last bat that Babe Ruth ever touched disappeared before Feller was able to retrieve it.  Years later he was able to buy it and the bat now oddly has pride of place in front of Chief Wahoo.

Driving between Lincoln and New York I got a kick out of seeing the exit sign for Van Meter, remembering that it was Feller's hometown.  I took the exit once.  There wasn't much happening in Van Meter.  The museum opened in 1995 so I had to stop in for a look on this trip.  There still wasn't much happening in Van Meter.  So little was happening that the museum wasn't even open.  I took a picture of the mural and headed to Winterset.

Normally I would have taken a different route back to Des Moines, but I had a hunch the museum would be open.  It was, and it is well worth stopping at if you're a baseball fan.  Everything you want to know about Bob Feller is there in the museum.  Feller was, along with Joe DiMaggio, a prototype for modern athletes, endorsing many products while carefully protecting his image.  He found that he could make enough money on off-season barnstorming tours that he could spend the winter months working out rather than taking a second job.  When the season started he was in much better shape than any of the other players.

I'm hosting a bunch of people this week for work so I'll probably not be around these parts too much until Thursday or Friday.

Comments

[Jeff]

I think he later had a restaurant around his home town somewhere.

[judy]

Those books look like they would have been on your bookshelf as a kid. Nice write up.

[Joe]

Maybe in Cleveland. I can't imagine Van Meter being able to support a restaurant.

I went on and on there didn't I?

Here's another Bob Feller fact: he pitched in an old-timer's game last year, when he was 90.