Bob Feller: Pitcher, Cleveland Indians

266-162 record, 3.25 ERA, 3828 innings pitched, 2581 strikeouts

Even though he missed four years of the prime of his career due to WWII duty, Bob Feller still dominated during his 18-year career, all which was spent with the Cleveland Indians. Best known for the velocity of his fastball, Feller threw three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters during his MLB career, which were both records when he retired from the game. Feller was an eight-time AL All-Star, and also compiled six 20-win seasons (leading the league in each of those years), innings pitched five times, strikeouts seven times, complete games three times, and shutouts four times. On the all-time list, Feller ranks 53rd in games started (484), had the 52nd highest total of complete games (279), and 44 shutouts (35th all-time). What’s most important to most Indians fans is that he was on the last World Series team that played in Cleveland, back in 1948. Feller was destined for greatness when he debuted in August of 1936 when he struck out 15 St. Louis Browns hitters, fresh out of high school. After his dominance in the Major Leagues was through, he was voted into the Hall on his first ballot, receiving 93% of the vote.

Jackie Robinson: 2nd Baseman, Brooklyn Dodgers

.311 average, 947 runs scored, 1518 hits, 137 home runs, 734 RBI, 197 stolen bases

There are not enough words in the English language to state just how important Jackie Robinson was for the game of baseball. Without Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947, the game would be entirely different today in 2012. In his short, 10-season career, he was able to amass quite an impressive career while being under the microscope of the American public in the height of racism in the United States. He hit over .300 six times, led the league in stolen bases twice, was named to six All-Star games, won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1947, the NL MVP in 1949, and helped the “next year” finally come for the Dodgers and their fans in Brooklyn with a World Championship in 1955. Robinson could do it all with his athletic ability; he became the first athlete in the history of UCLA to letter in four sports in the same year. Those sports were football, baseball, basketball, and track. To honor this trail blazer, his uniform number 42 is retired by all of Major League Baseball, preventing any future player to put that number on their back in a professional baseball game…except on Jackie Robinson day, of course.

Edd Roush: Center Fielder, Cincinnati Reds

.323 average, 1099 runs scored, 2376 hits, 68 home runs, 981 RBI, 268 stolen bases

Even though he was known for his defense while patrolling center field, Edd Roush hit over .300 for eleven consecutive seasons, while winning the batting title in two of those years. During his 18-year career, he was able to show why he was such a treat to watch out in the outfield. As a center fielder, 1,286 career games, which ranks 45th all-time. He racked up 155 assists, which ranks 5th all-time, while recording 3,166 put outs (46th all-time). Roush won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1919, when the Chicago White Sox threw the Series in the famed “Black Sox Scandal.” However, the star center fielder claimed up until the day that he died that even if the White Sox played the way that they should have, the Reds would have still come out victorious. What I thought was the most interesting fact about Edd Roush was that he used a huge, 46-ounce bat during his MLB career, and claimed that he never broke a bat during his entire 18-year career.

Come back next week, as we take a look at the class of 1963, when four inductees were welcomed into Cooperstown.