Bob Feller to speak in Athens

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Bob Feller, who starred for the Cleveland Indians during his 18-year Major League Baseball career, will be the featured speaker at a dinner to be held at K. T. Crossen Post 21 in Athens on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Proceeds from the dinner will be used as part of a donation from the Legion post through its American Legion baseball program toward a project at the school’s Rannow Field. New sod has been placed on the infield and a sprinkler system installed, The school’s athletic booster club is dividing the cost with the Legion. Each group will donate $2,700.

The 89-year-old Feller was born in Van Meter, Iowa and worked on his family’s farm as a youth. It has been said that he joked that shoveling manure and bailing hay aided his ability to throw the baseball as hard as he did.

Feller made his major league debut with the Indians on July 19, 1936 at the age of 17 and remained with the club as a player through Sept. 30, 1956. Feller enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 8, 1941 and wound up missing four years in the major leagues. He was decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars.

He compiled a pitching record of 266-162, an overall earned run average of 3.25 and struck out 2,581 batters. Feller started in 434 of the 570 major league games he pitched. He also collected 193 hits including eight home runs. He had 20 or more victories six times. Feller is the only pitcher to throw a complete game no-hitter on Opening Day which he recorded on April 16, 1940.

It is appropriate that Feller is appearing at an event sponsored by an American Legion baseball group since he was the first former major league baseball player named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1962. He was named on the first team that year with 93.8 percent of the votes.

He won the American League’s Triple Crown in 1949, led the league in both victories and strikeouts six times each including highs of 27 wins in 1940 and 348 strikeouts in 1956. He was also tops in ERA with 2.61 in 1940.

A full dinner including either prime rib or chicken will be served at the event. Tickets are priced at $40 for adults and $20 for youths of high school age and below.

In addition to this dinner, the Athens Legion baseball team plans to host a golf scramble on May 17 at The Elm near Athens and its annual 4th of July tournament which will be held July 2-5. The baseball team also aids various youth programs at schools in the Athens area.

Some major sponsors have donated $500 each to cover Feller’s fee for the event. Contributions of lesser amounts may be made toward the Legion baseball program. His fee is normally $5,000 for a speech, but because this is an American Legion event, the fee is going to be $3,000.

Tickets for Feller’s appearance are available at the Legion post at 520 W. Union in Athens. Tickets at the door on the night of the event will be $50 and $25 respectively if still available.

Further information about tickets for Feller’s speech or contributions may be obtained by contacting Jim Collins, busines manager of the two American Legion teams sponsored by the post, at (740) 447-3841. Recognition of individuals who have made contributions at various levels will be provided in upcoming events including the Feller dinner, the golf tournament and the 4th of July tournament.

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Thanks to all who attended the banquet and to the sponsors who helped with varying donations. We would have liked to have more people there since it was a fund-raiser (as noted above), but those who attended were provided a great evening. Feller's remarks were good and he was very gracious, posing for pictures and signing autographs prior to the dinner and for another hour after the dinner -- no one was turned away.