Bob Feller Career

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

You can add Warren Spahn to that list with Feller and Williams as well. Spahn had just come onto the Braves team in 1942, and pitched in only four games before going off to the war. He didn't pitch again till he came back in 1946. But what Spahn and Williams did was play long enough to both reach superstar plateaus for their positions. Spahn had over 300 wins and Williams over 500 home runs. Meanwhile, Feller missed both the 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts milestones for pitchers, both of which he would have probably easily reached had he not served during the war. And that's why I said in an earlier thread he probably got hurt the most of any ballplayer because of the time missed in the war.

What's interesting for Spahn is that had he not missed almost four seasons to WWII, he would easily have reached 400 wins, and probably had over 3,000 strikeouts as well.

And for Williams it is even possibly more insane. Unlike Feller and Spahn, Williams played the entire 1942 season, and only missed 3 seasons to WWII, not the almost 4 seasons that Feller and Spahn lost. However, what a lot of people forget, or never knew to begin with, was that Williams went back into the service during the Korean War. He only played in 6 games in the beginning of the 1952 season before heading off to the Korean War, and came back in late 1953 to play in 37 games to finish out that season. So, Williams basically lost almost 5 years fighting in wars. Had he not gone off to fight, he most likely would have gone from #7 to #1 on the all-time career offensive WAR list, surpassing both Ruth and Cobb, easily top 3,000 career hits and actually go towards 4,000, likely take the all-time MLB walks record from Barry Bonds, easily top 600 home runs and probably close in on 700, likely take the all-time RBI crown from Aaron, and the all-time runs scored record from Henderson, while probably keeping his all-time OBP record. And lord knows what all other records could have become his, or if he could have had a 3rd batting triple crown (or even more), or possibly even another .400 average season.

Lot of what ifs for these guys who went off to war.

Not that DiMaggio would have threatened any milestones, but he missed three prime years.

[jingram058]

DiMaggio will be remembered for hitting consecutively in 56 games, as well he should be, even by this generation. 1941 is looked on by historians for two almost incomprehensible milestones...those 56 consecutive games, and IMO more importantly, Ted Williams' .406 batting average. DiMaggio flirted with .400 in 1939, winding up at .381. Several others have flirted with it since, only to falter in the end, showing just how hard it is to do. I do not see it happening even more so today because of specialized pitching being what it is; starting, middle, late and closing. If DiMaggio had those 3 years, who knows, but I doubt it.

[Tomi]

Very impressive that Dimaggio had 8 more lifetime strikeouts than homeruns. Sad that players today will strikeouts more in 2 seasons than Dimaggio in his career.

[Yoda]

I once took a beloved '54 Bowman to a show for Bob to sign. When my turn came, he looked up and said, "Oh, the water cooler shot, one of my favorites."
Since he seemed in a very relaxed mood, I asked him if Herb Score was ever as fast as he was. He gave me a wink and replied, "Only in Spring Training." A sacred memory.

[Kzoo]

When Bob signed this for me a couple years before his passing, his response was 'Oh wow, it's an original one'. Everybody else at the small local show was getting balls and 8x10s signed.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not that DiMaggio would have threatened any milestones, but he missed three prime years.

Very true, and not to take away anything from DiMaggio at all, but he played a much shorter overall career than Feller, Spahn, and Williams. The closest was Feller, who played 18 seasons to DiMaggio's 13 season career, and that's counting the very partial 1945 season for Feller as one of those 18.

And even if you add in the average of three years worth of hits and home runs from his best and most productive seasons, it looks like DiMaggio's still going to come up short in the 3,000 hit - 500 home run categories. And nothing else in his stats jumps out to me as being milestone reaching or all-time record worthy by simply adding three more years worth of numbers. He doesn't/didn't need anything else though, he already had the hitting streak AND he played for the Yankees. DiMaggio had all the publicity and hype he could ever need and/or want. And yet, he still went beyond all that with the icing on his cake................he was married to Marilyn Monroe!

I put that on somewhat of a par with Verlander. You guys had your other thread talking about how dismal Verlander's World Series record is, and with that opening game loss to Philly the other night he's now sporting an 0-6 WS pitching record, with the highest WS starting pitcher ERA of all time, right? Well, if I was Verlander, I probably couldn't care less, and upon hearing/reading all the negativity directed at me I'd likely just respond "Screw you!", because at the end of the day I get to go home to my wife, Kate Upton, and............................................... ............

I'll leave it to you all to finish that last sentence however you like.

[Peter_Spaeth]

He didn't get the loss though. But he definitely was not in good form. It's weird because his career playoff record overall isn't that bad, just the WS.

Wherever he ends up in wins, given trends no pitcher may ever get more, at least until the game reverts back to how it was.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

He didn't get the loss though. But he definitely was not in good form. It's weird because his career playoff record overall isn't that bad, just the WS.

Wherever he ends up in wins, given trends no pitcher may ever get more, at least until the game reverts back to how it was.

Didn't see he may not have been credited with the loss, wasn't watching the game, but knew he certainly didn't get the win. Still highest ever ERA though, right?

So more importantly, how'd you finish that last line?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

Didn't see he may not have been credited with the loss, wasn't watching the game, but knew he certainly didn't get the win. Still highest ever ERA though, right?

So more importantly, how'd you finish that last line?

I will decline the invitation to make a sexist comment. He'll go home, wait for the phone to ring congratulating him on the Cy Young award, and hang with his kids.

[ClementeFanOh]

And it's "Short Attention Span Theater" again. Thanks PeterSpaeth and
BobC, you are the very image of predictability. Feel free to rip away and
further distance the thread from it's actual intent. Trent King

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

And it's "Short Attention Span Theater" again. Thanks PeterSpaeth and
BobC, you are the very image of predictability. Feel free to rip away and
further distance the thread from it's actual intent. Trent King

Why are you so OCDish about a thread having to stay precisely on topic? Most threads would die awfully damn soon if they couldn't move and breathe. I suggest you start some yourself and specify one answer per person, each PRECISELY on point, on penalty of death for noncompliance. What an orderly thing that would be.

Guess what? This is a thread about baseball. Sooner or later, it's natural someone is going to make an analogy to the player in the OP. Because being a baseball fan is all about comparisons. Wrap your head around that, man.