6. Bob Feller
Bob Feller had already led the American League in strikeouts, wins, shutouts, and innings pitched several times for the Cleveland Indians in his first six major league seasons. Considered to be one of the best young players in the game, Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Pearl Harbor attack. becoming the first American professional athlete to do so. Though he was initially exempted from combat due to his father’s failing health, Feller insisted on being allowed to run combat missions, saying, “I told them I wanted to … get into combat; wanted to do something besides standing around handing out balls and bats and making ball fields out of coral reefs.”
As a Chief Petty Officer on the USS Alabama, Feller saw combat in the Pacific Theater of Operations in several battles and was discharged in 1945.
In his 18-year career, Feller posted a 3.25 ERA and struck out 2,581 batters while recording 266 wins against 162 losses and winning the 1948 with the Indians (the last one to date for the franchise). Had it not been for his military career, Feller would have surpassed 300 and perhaps 400 wins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 with 93.7% of the votes.
