Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom

by Bob Feller, Burton Rocks

Bob Feller is a true baseball icon. Along with such legends as Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ted Williams, he is recognized as one of the greatest players of the twentieth century. In fact, he was voted the greatest right-handed pitcher in the history of baseball. But Bob Feller is known for his quick wit as much as for his fastball. In Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom , the sharp-tongued Hall of Famer offers philosophical, anecdotal, and candid reflections on baseball and everyday American life. In the process he introduces us to such legends as Jackie Robinson, Ralph Kiner, and Joe DiMaggio the way he knew them--as baseball rivals, fellow sportsmen, and good friends. Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom is a treasure trove of down-to-earth advice for baseball fans of any generation.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2001

About the author

Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians. Feller pitched from 1936 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1956, interrupted by a four-year engagement in the United States Navy. In a career spanning 570 games, Feller pitched 3,827 innings and posted a win–loss record of 266–162, with 279 complete games, 44 shutouts, and a 3.25 earned run average (ERA).

A prodigy who bypassed baseball's minor leagues, Feller first played for the Indians at the age of 17. His career was interrupted by four years of military service in World War II, during which time he served as Chief Petty Officer aboard USS Alabama. Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21. During his career, he threw no-hitters in 1940, 1946, and 1951. Feller also recorded 12 one-hitters (his no-hitters and one-hitters were records at the time of his retirement). He helped the Indians win a World Series title in 1948 and an American League-record 111 wins and the pennant in 1954. Feller led the American League in wins six times and in strikeouts seven times. In 1946, he recorded 348 strikeouts, a total not exceeded for 19 years. An eight-time All-Star, Feller was ranked 36th on Sporting News's list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was named the publication's "greatest pitcher of his time". He was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Ted Williams called Feller "the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw during my career." Hall of Famer Stan Musial believed he was "probably the greatest pitcher of our era." He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, on his first ballot appearance; at the time, only three players had ever had a higher percentage of ballot votes. He was elected the inaugural President of the Major League Baseball Players' Association and participated in barnstorm exhibition games which featured players from both the Major and Negro leagues. Feller died at the age of 92 in 2010.

Reviews

[Leew49]

Bob Feller grew up in Iowa under what sounds like idyllic circumstances. Unfailingly supported by loving parents (a mother who quit her job to be a full-time parent, a father who built a baseball field on their farm for him), strengthened by manual labor in the fields, and imbued with midwestern middle class values, Feller became a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher whose fastball was clocked at 104 mph and who once struck out 18 batters in one game. He was also a war hero, interrupting his sports career to serve in the Navy during World War II.

Feller's book is an uneven mix of conventionality, useful insight, and memorable sports anecdotes. The chapters are very short--usually only a few paragraphs--and might have been structured as an interview between Feller and co-author Burton Rocks. Feller's observations sometimes sound like something Ward Cleaver might have told the Beav (two hours of sleep before midnight is as good as one hour after midnight); while others are almost mysterious (never swim before you pitch); but there are also some funny observations on baseball and stories about some of the famous players Feller played with and against. Feller grew up listening to a young sportscaster named Ronald Reagan and later became friends with more than one US president. As a boy he was thrilled to get the autographs of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and as a man he competed against Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson.

In retirement he muses over the all-powerful influence of money on the sport he loves, the pervasiveness of agents, and the negative effect of pressure from overly ambitious parents.

Some of his best insights stem from his dual role as a star athlete and a war veteran. One of his best observations, which contradicts one of my least favorite sports cliches is: "Any coach or manager who tells his players that they're going to play the game like they're fighting a war has never been in a war." He also disapproves of thinking of professional athletes as heroes, believing that word should be reserved for people who save lives.

Feller was a man of high personal standards. He once refused to play in the All Star game because he didn't think he was having a good enough year. Some of his opinions may seem corny to the modern reader, but they reflect the standards by which he lived his life.

[Andrew]

Bob Feller was a giant of the game but this book doesn't offer much besides little nuggets here and there. Not really recommended outside of huge baseball fans. Even Cleveland fans probably have better options.

[Taylor M]

This book (baseball wisdom) is really cool. I also only recommend this for baseball player because it will be boring to people who dont play baseball it is about being smart about baseball and how to play the right it is more of a informational book i got it from my best friends dad, because he used to play baseball in the mlb, he told me to read this so i can be more knowledgeable about the great sport of baseball.

[Linda]

My next All-Star team was in 1941. I started the game and pitched to the first nine hitters. The first hitter singled, but I picked him off at first base. This was the famous All-Start game in Detroit where Ted Williams hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth to win it. Joe DiMaggio had reached first base on what should have been the last out of the game, but Cecil Travis went into second base with his spikes high and hit Billy Herman, the National League second baseman. Billy made a wide throw to first base, pulling the first baseman off the bas, and allowing DiMaggio to beat the throw. Ted Williams then hit Claude Passeau's pitch four feet fair on the top of the façade at Tiger Stadium to win the ballgame. Ted had timed it perfectly, and we won the game 7-5. Enos Slaughter retrieved that ball after it bounced back onto the field and gave it to Ted several years later.

[Lauren]

Bob Feller's baseball wisdom is ageless. Nice "bathroom reader." Will have to get his "Little Blue Book" now.