Bob Feller - 70th Anniversary of Opening Day No Hitter

            April 16, 2010 marks the 70^th anniversary of an event in major league baseball that has not has been matched before or since.  On April 16, 1940 Bob Feller pitched a no hitter on opening day.  It is the only time this has happened in modern day baseball.  Robert William Andrew “Bob” Feller was 21 on opening day in 1940 when the Cleveland Indians played the Chicago White Sox in Chicago at Comiskey Park.  It was a cold, gray day, not the kind of day for a fun baseball game.  After the second inning, Feller decided not to throw any more curves because the weather made gripping the ball too difficult.  It took 2 hours and 24 minutes for Feller and his teammates to finish the game beating the White Sox 1 - 0. 

Feller struggled with his stuff, but that day he managed to pitch the first no hitter of his career.  He struck out 8 batters while walking 5.  The only error in the game was in the second inning when Roy Weatherly mishandled a fly ball, long before the game looked like a no hitter was a possibility.  Cleveland’s scoring came in the fourth inning when left fielder Jeff Heath, who had singled to left, was driven in by catcher Rolie Hemsley’s triple to right. 

In the last inning 14,000 fans watched as Mike Kreevich, Juluis Solters and Luke Appling would come to bat.  Kreevich hit a high fly infield fly to Ray Mack for the first out.  Next, Solters grounded to shortstop Lou Boudreau for the second out.  Sox shortstop Luke Appling would come up to bat next.  He was considered at tough hitter.  After two strikes, Appling fouled 4 pitches.  Appling eventually walked on the 10^th pitch, with Feller admitting later that he threw the last two balls to Appling to put him on intentionally. The next batter would be Taft Wright.  Wright was known to be able hit well against Feller.  Feller threw the first pitch to Wright for a ball.  But on the next pitch Wright swung and drove it to right side of the field.  The ball was to the left of second baseman Ray Mack. Mack dove for the ball, but didn’t make the catch.  He managed to knock it down , pick it up and throw it to first baseman Hal Trosky to make the out by a half step for the final out.  Thus, the game became a piece of baseball history.  Bob enjoyed it even further as his parents and sister where there watching in the stands.  He would go on to pitch three no hitters and 12 one hitters in his storied career.