Books and articles about Bob Feller

The winningest pitcher in Cleveland Indians history, in 1962 Feller became the first pitcher since charter member Walter Johnson to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Though regarded as the fastest pitcher of his day, he himself attributed his strikeout records to his curve and slider. Blessed with a strong arm and an encouraging father, young Feller pitched to a makeshift backstop on the family farm near Van Meter, Iowa. Cleveland scout Cy Slapnicka signed him for one dollar and an autographed baseball.

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RELATED LINKS » 1936: Pains and Streaks and Tears » 1940: Feller's Opening Day No-Hitter » 1956: Red Smith on Bob Feller Photos » Photo: DiMaggio vs. Feller (1941) Book Excerpts » "[Johnny Sain beat] Bob Feller, 1-0, in the first game of the 1948 World Series": Carl Erskine » "Feller believed that if a catcher was intelligent and had considerable game experience, it was best to leave the game almost entirely in his hands": Edward Gruver » "I hit Feller halfway decent, but golly, it was tough. He'd curve you 3-0 and 3-1, and that's not in the Bible": Charlie Gehringer » Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom Greatest Teams » 1954 Indians Submissions » The Top 100 Greatest Indians » Bob Feller: One of the Best by John White » Can't Buy a Hit: Notable No-Hitters by Jonathan Brolin » Let's Play Two by Harvey Frommer Matchups » Who's Better: Clemens or Feller? Ask The Experts » Who was the youngest player to win 20 games in a season? Around the Web » Bob Feller from baseball-reference.com » Bob Feller from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

His velocity became an immediate legend when he struck out eight Cardinals in a three-inning exhibition stint. He came up as a 17-year-old at the end of 1936 and fanned 15 Browns in his first ML start and 17 Athletics shortly thereafter. But he was extremely wild. In 1938 he became a regular starter for the Indians. He won 17 and led the AL in strikeouts with 240. He also set a ML record with 208 walks. Although he led the AL in walks three more times, his control progressively improved. Meanwhile, he led the AL in both strikeouts and wins from 1939 to 1941.

In 1940, he won his personal high with 27, including an Opening Day no-hitter against the White Sox. Yet the year was tarnished, first when Cleveland veterans, including Feller, earned the nickname Crybabies by asking Cleveland owner Alva Bradley to replace stern manager Ossie Vitt. Then Feller lost the season's climactic game and the pennant to Tigers unknown Floyd Giebell, despite pitching a three-hitter.

He lost nearly four seasons to the Navy during WWII, earning eight battle stars. When he returned, he was better than ever, rejoining a powerful pitching staff that would soon include Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia, and Early Wynn. He won 26 games in 1946 and broke Rube Waddell's strikeout record with 348 (later research indicated Waddell may have fanned 349). He also threw his second no-hitter, against the Yankees. All told, Feller threw three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters.

In 1948 he started to decline, although he led the AL in strikeouts for the seventh and final time. He salvaged his season with six straight wins down the stretch to help the Indians to their first pennant in 28 years. He opened the WS against the Braves, but lost 1-0 on a controversial call. He'd apparently picked Boston's Phil Masi off second base, but the Braves' catcher was called safe. Masi then scored the game's only run when Tommy Holmes singled.

After two mediocre years, he bounced back with a 22-8 season in 1951 to lead the AL in wins for the sixth time and in winning percentage for the only time. He spent his final seasons as a highly effective spot starter, but was not used in the 1954 WS.

One of the first of the modern businessman-players, he was incorporated (Ro-Fel, Inc.) and made nearly as much money from barnstorming and endorsements as from playing. In 1957 his number 19 was the first to be retired by the Indians. And in 1969 he was voted baseball's greatest living righthanded pitcher in ceremonies for professional baseball's centennial. Always outspoken, and a natural promoter, he remains a popular ambassador for baseball. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 19, 1936: After winning their 9th straight, 11–2, the Indians lose to the Senators in the nitecap, 9–6. Young Bob Feller makes his ML debut in relief pitching the 8th inning of game 2, giving up no hits, walking two, and fanning one. » August 23, 1936: Seventeen-year-old Bob Feller makes his first start and strikes out 15, one less than the AL record, as Cleveland beats St. Louis 4-1. » September 13, 1936: Bob Feller, still only 17, breaks the AL record and ties the ML mark with 17 strikeouts, defeating the A's 5-2. » December 10, 1936: Commissioner Landis announces his ruling on the Bob Feller case. Feller joined Cleveland in July and Des Moines (Western League) protested, claiming the pitcher for themselves. Landis let Feller stay with Cleveland, pending his final ruling, which is announced today in favor of the Indians. » April 4, 1937: In an Indians-Giants exhibition game, Hank Leiber is beaned by a Bob Feller fastball and will miss most of the upcoming season. » April 14, 1937: Judge Landis declares Tommy Henrich a free agent, voiding his Cleveland contract. This is another of the cover-up situations Landis hated, and the balance of the scale for letting Cleveland keep Bob Feller. Henrich will sign with the Yankees 4 days later. » August 25, 1937: Cleveland's Bob Feller strikes out 16 Red Sox, one less than his own AL record, in an 8-1 victory. » April 20, 1938: Bob Feller pitches the first of 12 career one-hitters, beating the Browns 9-0. » May 12, 1938: Cleveland manages jut four hits off New York's Lefty Gomez but they win, 3–2, behind Bob Feller's five hitter. Lou Gehrig drives in both runs on a 2-run home run. » May 25, 1938: Bobby Doerr's 2nd inning single for Boston is the only hit that Bob Feller allows. Ken Keltner belts three homers as Cleveland coasts 11–0. » October 2, 1938: Bob Feller sets a ML strikeout record by fanning 18 Tigers. At one point Feller has 6 straight strikeouts yet loses 4-1 to Harry Eisenstat's 4-hitter. » May 14, 1939: Next time, say it with flowers. Bob Feller's mother travels from Iowa to watch her son pitch against the White Sox. It is the first time she's seen him play in the majors, and she is given a box along the 1B line at Comiskey Park. Sox 3B Marv Owen then lines a Feller fast ball that knocks Mrs. Feller unconscious. She revives and, with a few stitches, is none the worse. The Indians win, 9–4. » July 3, 1939: Cleveland's Ben Chapman ties the modern major-league record with three triples, as Bob Feller notches his 13th victory 4-2. » September 8, 1939: Twenty-year-old Bob Feller becomes the youngest 20th-century pitcher to win 20 games, as Cleveland beats St. Louis 12-1. » April 16, 1940: Working in 47-degree weather, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians throws an Opening Day no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, winning 1-0 at Comiskey Park. Rollie Hemsley has the only RBI. Edgar Smith is the losing pitcher. It is the first Opening Day no-hitter since 1909. » May 24, 1940: The Cleveland Indians edge the St. Louis Browns, 3–2, in the first night game at Sportsman's Park before 24,827, the biggest crowd since 1922. Bob Feller beats Eldon Auker and his first ML homer is the margin of victory. » June 11, 1940: In Boston, the Indians chase Bob Feller, 9–2, on homers by Ted Williams and Joe Cronin. Williams adds a triple, while Finney has four hits including a pair of doubles. During the game, Tribe manager Oscar Vitt openly criticizes Feller, saying "Look at him. He's supposed to be my ace. How am I supposed to win a pennant with that kind of pitching." The Boston win keeps the Sox a game ahead of Detroit and Cleveland. » June 13, 1940: The Cleveland players petition owner Alva Bradley to remove Oscar Vitt as manager. "Sometimes it seems he'll drive us all nuts," says Bob Feller. "Maybe it's just his nervousness." Bradley declines, stating that the club is just two games behind Boston. The Indians tip the Tigers, 3–2, in 11 innings, winning on Charlie Gehringer's throwing error. Cleveland has their best month of the year, settling into first place, which they will hold until the final two weeks of the season. » June 16, 1940: Cleveland fans cheer manager Oscar Vitt and boo the "crybaby's," Hal Trosky and Bob Feller. Feller answers with a 3-hit win over the A's, striking out 12 in the 4–2 game. Al Milnar takes the nitecap by the same score. » June 29, 1940: Bob Feller fans 11 White Sox in gaining his 12th win of the year, 7–3. Lee takes the loss. The Tribe now lead the American League by two 1/2 games. » August 12, 1940: Cleveland and Detroit, deadlocked for 1st place (64–44), square off. In the initial pitching duel between the two aces, Bob Feller tops Hal Newhouser, 8–5, to become the majors' first 20-game winner. » August 26, 1940: Bob Feller rescues Mel Harder in the 7th and the Indians top the Senators, 4–3. Hal Trosky's two-run homer off Dutch Leonard is the big blow for the Tribe. Cleveland leads the idle Tigers by three games. » September 27, 1940: Besides Bobo Newsom (21-5), Schoolboy Rowe (16-3), and Tommy Bridges (12-9), the Tigers pitching staff combines for a losing record. Needing one victory to gain the title, manager Del Baker decides to withhold Newsom and Rowe and picks Floyd Giebell, an obscure rookie just called in from Buffalo. Giebell shuts out the Indians 2-0 to beat Bob Feller, who gives up just 3 hits. Not eligible for the WS, Giebell never wins another game in the ML. During the game, unruly Cleveland fans shower the field with fruit and vegetables. At one point, a basket of green tomatoes is dropped onto Tigers C Birdie Tebbetts' head while he sits in the bullpen. » October 26, 1940: Detroit slugger outfielder Hank Greenberg is named the MVP in the American League with 292 points. Greenberg won the MVP honors in 1935 as a first baseman. Bob Feller is 2nd with 222 points. » January 8, 1941: The BBWAA in TSN poll names the 1940 All Star team: Hank Greenberg, LF; Joe DiMaggio, CF; Ted Williams, RF; Frank McCormick, 1B; Joe Gordon, 2B; Luke Appling, SS; Stan Hack, 3B; Harry Danning, C. The pitchers are Bob Feller, Bucky Walters, and Paul Derringer. » January 21, 1941: Bob Feller signs with the Indians for a reported $30,000. » December 9, 1941: Star pitcher Bob Feller enlists in the Navy. » January 6, 1942: Bob Feller, winner of 76 games for the Indians in three previous seasons, follows Hank Greenberg into the military. Feller, saying "I've always wanted to be on the winning side," enlists in the Navy and reports to Norfolk, VA, for duty. » June 2, 1942: Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a Navy aviator. He will finish the season with his team as will many other players who enlist or await draft, which moves slowly despite the early discouragements of the war. Among AL regulars of 1941 who are now in the service: Johnny Rigney, Joe Grace, Johnny Berardino, Cecil Travis, Bob Feller, Pat Mullin, Buddy Lewis, Sam Chapman, Johnny Sturm. » July 7, 1942: A military all-star team that includes Bob Feller, Cecil Travis, Sam Chapman, Benny McCoy, Johnny Sturm, and Frank Pytlak loses 5-0 to AL stars in a game at Cleveland in front of more than 60,000 fans. Jim Bagby wins against his Indian teammate Feller. Military relief receives $160,000. » August 24, 1945: Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46,477, who watch him strike out 12 and yield only four hits in a 4–2 win over Detroit's Hal Newhouser. He will get nine starts during the remainder of the year, and his five wins will include a one-hitter and two 4-hitters. With the war now over, fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball's number one ticket seller. » April 30, 1946: Dispelling the rumors that he had lost his fastball after nearly 4 years in the Navy, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians hurls his 2nd no-hitter, beating the New York Yankees 1-0 on Frankie Hayes's HR in the 9th inning. » May 4, 1946: Jim Bagby beats the Indians' Bob Feller, 6–2, as the Red Sox have now won nine straight. Ted Williams drives in three runs on a double and home run. » May 17, 1946: In the first of two at Cleveland, Bob Feller fans 14 in shutting out the Senators, 4–0. Feller allows five hits while the Tribe manages just six off Mickey Haefner. The nitecap is stopped after eight innings because of darkness with Walt Masterson the winner for Washington, 6–4. » June 12, 1946: The Red Sox second long win streak early in the year -- this one 12 games -- is broken by Bob Feller's 7-2 win at Boston. » August 8, 1946: A single by Frank Hayes deprives Bob Feller of a no-hitter against the White Sox. Hayes was traded by Cleveland in June, just weeks after catching Feller's April 30th no-hitter. It it the eighth one-hitter of Feller's career. His 10 games of less than two hits better Addie Joss's old mark of 9. » September 8, 1946: With the Red Sox running away with the AL race, attention closes in on Bob Feller's strikeout pace. He reaches 300 today, a number reached by Walter Johnson and Rube Waddell twice each. Can Feller beat Waddell's 347 of 1904? Boudreau finds plenty of innings for Feller to work as the season comes to an end and statisticians discover an error in the Aug 24th box score that shorted the fireballer one strikeout against the A's. Counting that one, Feller ends with 348. Alas! Waddell's old record of 347 was apparently based on the compilations of George Moreland, an early baseball historian, and listed in Little Red Book. TSN researchers later revise Waddell's total to 349. » January 21, 1947: Bob Feller signs for "more than $80,000," according to Cleveland owner Bill Veeck. » April 22, 1947: Al Zarilla's single in the 7th inning is the only hit off Bob Feller as the Indians beat the Browns, 5–0. » April 26, 1947: Bob Feller shuts out the Tigers to give the Tribe a 6–0 win. Hal Newhouser takes the loss. » May 2, 1947: Bob Feller fires his 2nd one-hitter in 10 days, stopping the Red Sox, 2–0, while striking out 10. Johnny Pesky has the only safety. Joe Gordon's homer off Ferriss is the only run Feller needs. » May 23, 1948: Joe DiMaggio hits three consecutive home runs for the New York Yankees in a 6–5, first-game win against the Indians. The first two home runs are off Bob Feller. Behind Don Black, the Indians take the nightcap, 5–1, to preserve first place. » July 16, 1948: Ordered by Bill Veeck to pass up the All-Star game, a well-rested Bob Feller is shelled from the mound with only one out in the first inning by the A's. The A's score first when Feller absent-mindedly goes into a windup with two on, and Coleman and McCosky pull a double steal. The Mackmen then jump on Bob Muncrief and roll to a 10–5 win over the American League-leading Indians. Lou Brissie wins his 4th straight. Joe Coleman will shut out the Tribe, 5–0, tomorrow to split the series. » July 22, 1948: The Yankees take the rubber game of the series with the Indians as Vic Raschi earns the decision over Bob Feller, 6–5. Joe DiMaggio's grand slam is the big blow for the Bombers: he has hit four homers and a triple in Feller's four starts against New York. His eight RBIs in the three games with Cleveland gives him a league-leading 82. » August 12, 1948: In the 2nd game of a twin bill, after losing 8–4, the Indians wallop the Browns 26–3, coming within one run of the American League record for the most runs scored in a game. A record fourteen players have hits for the Indians in the game. Hal Peck leads with four hits and four runs. Pitcher Gene Bearden, who also has four hits and four runs, is staked to 9-run lead before taking the mound. All 14 Indians who have an at bat get a hit. Bob Feller pitches the last two innings. » October 6, 1948: In the WS opener in Boston, Phil Masi is called safe at 2B on a disputed call by umpire Bill Stewart on a pickoff attempt in the 8th. Masi then scores on a single by Tommy Holmes as Johnny Sain and the Boston Braves top the Cleveland Indians and Bob Feller 1-0. » October 10, 1948: A 6-run 7th kayoes Bob Feller and 2 successors for the Braves' 11-5 victory. Bob Elliott has 2 HRs, one for 3 runs. The WS crowd is even larger than the day before, 86,288, only to be exceeded in the LA Coliseum in 1959. » May 5, 1949: At Cleveland, Bob Feller, making his first start since pitching two innings in the season opener and coming up with a sore shoulder, beats the Red Sox, 7–3. The Tribe scores six in the 2nd inning, including Ken Keltner's three run homer off Jack Kramer. On the next pitch, Minnie Minoso making his second start, hits his first major-league homer. Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr hit 8th-inning homers for Boston, while Joe Gordon adds a homer in the 5th for Cleveland. » January 18, 1950: The Indians' Bob Feller, whose 1949 record was a lackluster 15-14, takes a $20,000 salary cut to $45,000. The pay cut was Feller's own suggestion. » June 2, 1950: In the first inning at Fenway, Cleveland's Bob Feller walks 5—including three in a row—and yields two hits before exiting. The six runs allows the Red Sox to romp, 11–5, behind Joe Dobson. » June 13, 1950: Chuck Stobbs allows two hits as the Red Sox open their road trip with an 8–1 win over the Indians. Bobby Doerr leads the offense with a pair of homers, a triple and single to chase Bob Feller. Doerr raises his average to .306, putting every Sox regular over .300. » June 18, 1950: After Bob Feller blanks the A's, 7–0, on a 2-hitter, the Indians set a modern record by scoring 14 runs in the opening frame of the 2nd game. The output ties the most runs in any inning and is the most in the first inning. Except for pitcher Mike Garcia , all the Indians bat twice enroute to a 21–2 trouncing. Hegan piles on with a grand slam in the 3rd inning, off Carl Scheib. » July 2, 1950: Indian great Bob Feller wins his 200th ML game, 5–3, over Detroit in the 2nd game of a doubleheader split. Detroit wins the opener, 8–5, for their only win in the four game series. » August 27, 1950: The Indians Ray Boone and Clyde Vollmer of the Red Sox match grand slams today. Boone’s comes in the 7-run third to give Bob Feller a 7–0 cushion. Vollmer’s pinch slam against Al Benton in the Sox 6-run seventh helps Boston to an 11–9 win. It is the Red Sox ninth slam of the season. » August 28, 1950: At Fenway the Red Sox come back from 10–0 and 12–1 deficits to beat the Indians 15–14. Bob Feller is the loser, this time in his only relief appearance of the season, coming in for starter Bob Lemon, the AL’s winningest pitcher. Dom DiMaggio's two triples and a single pace the offense. It is the second day in a row the Tribe has blown a big lead, losing a seven run yesterday. » September 22, 1950: In the top of the 9th in Cleveland, Detroit's Don Kolloway cracks a 2-run HR off Bob Feller to tie the game at 3–3. In the bottom of the inning, Joe Gordon takes Hal Newhouser downtown to hand the Tigers a heartbreaking 4–3 loss. The loss pushes the Bengals back into 2nd place. Feller now stands 8–2 against the Tiger ace stretching back to 1940. The two will face off once more in a no-decision contest in 1952. In the nitecap, Mike Garcia drops the Bengals another game back with an 10–2 victory, while New York is shutting out the Red Sox, 8–0. Cleveland is the only team that holds a winning edge over Detroit this year (13–9). » May 24, 1951: Cleveland whips the Senators 16–0, with Bob Feller pitching a 2-hitter. Larry Doby has a homer and four RBIs to lead the Tribe. » May 29, 1951: The Indians sign high school star Billy Joe Davidson for a reported $150,000, eclipsing the $100,000 the Pirates paid to Paul Pettit in 1949. Several teams sought the services of the tall lefty, alleged to be the best Indians prospect since Bob Feller. » June 8, 1951: The Indians repeat history when they stop Dom DiMaggio’s 27-game hitting streak, just as they ended his brother Joe’s record 56-game streak 10 years before. The Tribe wins, 7–1, behind Bob Feller. » July 1, 1951: Veteran Bob Feller pitches the third no-hitter of his career, tying the record of Cy Young and Larry Corcoran, as he beats Detroit’s Bob Cain 2–1. Feller loses his shutout in the fourth when Johnny Lipon reaches on an error, swipes 2B, goes to 3B on a errant pickoff, and scores on a fly. Rookie Bob Chakales shuts out the Tigers in the nightcap, 2–0, for Cleveland’s 10th straight win over Detroit. Detroit has scored eight runs in the ten losses. » July 12, 1951: At Cleveland, Allie Reynolds of the NY Yankees no-hits Cleveland 1–0 for the first of his two no-hitters this season. Gene Woodling’s seventh inning HR off loser Bob Feller is the difference in the 1–0 game. The Chief's no-hitter is the first by a Yankee since Monte Pearson in 1928. New York takes the nitecap behind Vic Raschi as Joe DiMaggio cinches it with a three-run homer off Chuck Stobbs. » July 28, 1951: Clyde Vollmer, who started the month on the bench, continues his explosive fireworks against the Indians. He singles in the tying run in the 15th and then in the 16th hits a grand slam off reliever Bob Feller for an 8–4 Red Sox win. The grand slam is the latest hit in a game in major-league history. Mickey McDermott pitches all 16 innings for the Sox, striking out 15 and walking one. » August 21, 1951: Bob Feller wins his 20th, stopping the Senators, 4–0, and keeping the Indians a game ahead of the Yankees. Feller is the American League's first 20-game winner. » August 30, 1951: The A's topple the Indians, 6–2, beating Bob Feller and knocking the Tribe into 2nd place, a half game behind the idle Yankees. Morrie Martin and Carl Scheib combine for the win. » September 16, 1951: At the Stadium, Joe DiMaggio's long triple off Bob Feller scores two runs in the 5th and Allie Reynolds holds on for a 5–1 New York win. The Yanks take over first place for good by a margin of .003 points over Cleveland. » April 23, 1952: Bob Cain of the Browns and Bob Feller of the Indians each pitch a one-hitter, with the Browns prevailing 1-0. It ties a ML record for the fewest hits by 2 teams in a game. Bobby Young hits a triple in the first inning and scores the only run, as the Browns move into first place. » June 12, 1954: Behind Bob Feller, the Indians beat the Red Sox 4-3 to take undisputed possession of first place. Feller records his 2,500th strikeout in the game. The Tribe proceeds to win their next nine games. » October 20, 1954: Shoichi Kaneda of the Tokyo Swallows strikes out his 350th batter, surpassing the American season record of 348, set by Bob Feller in 1948. Kaneda already holds the single-game strikeout record in Japan with 15 in 1952 and 1954 and will go on to hold almost every Japanese pitching record before retiring in 1969. » May 1, 1955: In a masterful performance, Bob Feller one-hits the Red Sox 2–0, with Sammy White's single in the 7th spoiling his bid for a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader. It is his ML-record 12th one-hitter. In the nightcap, Cleveland's Herb Score fans 16 Boston hitters in a 2–1 win, missing Feller's strikeout record by 2. Score fans nine of the first 12 batters and 12 through the first five frames. » December 11, 1956: A players organization is established with Bob Feller as president. » August 31, 1959: Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean's National League mark and ties Bob Feller's major-league record of 18 strikeouts in a game against the Giants as 82,974 fans watch. He also totals 31 Ks for two consecutive games to set a new ML mark. Wally Moon's 3-run, 9th-inning home run wins it 5–2 for the Dodgers. » January 23, 1962: Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. » April 24, 1962: Sandy Koufax ties the modern major-league record he shares with Bob Feller by fanning 18 Cubs in nine innings. The Dodgers win 10–2. » July 23, 1962: Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. » July 14, 1968: Houston's Don Wilson fans 18 batters in a 6-1 win at Cincinnati, tying the major-league record set by Bob Feller. Wilson (6-11) fans Johnny Bench to end the game. He also ties the major-league record with eight strikeouts in a row, striking out the side in the first three innings. A one-out walk to Alex Johnson in the 1st is the only interruption. Wilson also fans the side in the 5th. The Astros win the opener, 5–4. » September 28, 1974: In his last start of the year, Nolan Ryan pitches his 3rd career no-hitter, victimizing the Twins 4–0. In the process, the Angels hurler strikes out 15 batters for the 6th time this season. Ryan also walks eight to run his season total to 202 base on balls, joining Bob Feller in 1938 as the only pitcher to walk more than 200 in a season. Ryan will top 200 in 1977. » August 25, 1985: Dwight Gooden wins his 14th consecutive game and his 20th of the season 9–3 over the Padres. Gooden will finish the season 24-4. Gooden, at 20 years, nine months of age, is the youngest pitcher ever to win 20 games. Bob Feller was a month older when he first won 20 in 1939. » April 26, 1990: Nolan Ryan pitches a one-hitter and sets a Ranger record with 16 strikeouts in a 1–0 win over the White Sox. It is Ryan's 12th career one-hitter (which ties him with ML leader Bob Feller,) and 200th career game with at least 10 strikeouts. » May 6, 1998: In one of the finest pitching efforts ever, Chicago Cub rookie righthander Kerry Wood fans 20 Houston Astros in a 2–0, one-hit victory to tie the major league mark for strikeouts in a 9-inning game. Making only his 5th big league start, the 20-year-old ties the record held by Roger Clemens, who performed the feat twice. Wood does not walk a batter in his masterpiece, allowing only an infield single to Ricky Gutierrez in the 3rd inning, that likely would have been an error had it occurred late in the game. The 20-year-old Wood became the 2nd pitcher in baseball history whose strikeout total matched his age (Bob Feller struck out 17 when he was 17-years-old). Wood struck out the first five batters of the game and struck out seven in a row between the 7th and 9th innings, a streak that ties Jamie Moyer's Cubs record. » July 26, 2000: The Blue Jays defeat the Indians, 8-1, as David Wells wins his major league-leading 16th game. Bartolo Colon takes the loss for Cleveland, despite striking out the first six batters to face him to tie Bob Feller's team record. » July 22, 2001: At Cleveland, Bartolo Colon pitches the Tribe to a 6–3 win over the Tigers and pulls Cleveland within a game of Minnesota in the AL Central. Thome adds his AL-high 31st homer. Before the game, the Indians honor their Century 100, with 38 of their all-time greats on hand. Receiving the biggest applause is Rocky Colavito. Bob Feller, as well as 91-year-old great Mel Harder also receives a huge hand.