CLEVELAND — Bob Feller is a household name in Cleveland baseball lore. He is also one of 39 Baseball Hall of Famers that served in World War II.
What You Need To Know
- Cleveland legend Bob Feller is one of 39 Baseball Hall of Famers that served in World War II
- Feller had his bust donated to the mess hall on the USS Cooperstown
- Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Pearl Harbor attacks, making him the first pro athlete to do so in WWII
“The thing he was most proud of was his time in the United States Navy,” said Guardians VP of Ballpark Improvement Jim Folk. “Speaking with him, he always said that was the game he needed to win.”
Photos of the Cleveland baseball legend and Navy vet are all over the Terrace Club at Progressive Field. Now a bust of Feller has been donated to the United States Navy. Feller decided to enlist during his major league career, even though he didn’t have to.
“Bob Feller could have had a deferment,” Folk said. “His father was terminally ill. He was the sole son, and he could have gotten a deferment. Or he could have gone in some other path. He enlisted.”
The bust will be placed in the mess hall on the USS Cooperstown. Senior Chief Keyona Johnson said it’s a way to honor Feller, who was the first pro athlete to enlist in the millitary in World War II, two days after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Johnson said that decision exemplifies what an act of valor is all about.
“For him to be established in life already, he had a game plan,” Johnson said. “He didn’t really benefit by doing that and sacrificing for his country.”
