Cleveland Indians: 7 most anticipated debuts in Tribe history
Bob Feller, 1936
Imagine if Twitter existed back during the end of FDR’s first term. Rapid Robert would be trending every fifth day. Just image all the stat cast data being published to help understand what was clear as day to the naked eye: Feller could throw a baseball, really, really, really fast.
He was just 17 years old when he left his family farm in Iowa to take the bump for the Tribe. Think about it. Seventeen. Not one day in the minors. That’s the kind of stuff legends are made of.
It was August when Feller made his first start and he gave a glimpse of the pitcher he’d be for the next 20 years, as he struck out 15 St. Louis Browns. Shortly after that outing, he go on to set the AL rookie record for strikeouts in a game when he fanned 17.
Feller went on to record 266 victories. He would’ve had more, but he enlisted in the Army during World War II. You never heard him complain about it. Guys from that era didn’t do that. Something needed to be done. They did it. Mission accomplished.
Feller remains the greatest Indians pitcher of all time.
Interesting fact: Despite pitching in two World Series, Feller doesn’t own a victory in the Fall Classic. Chad Ogea, on the other hand, had two in the 1997 Series. Gotta love Baseball.
dark. Next. Mock Draft: Superstar awaiting Cavs with 5th pick
This is not a comprehensive list. Who did I miss. Whose debut were you heavily anticipating?