September 13, 1936: The Cleveland Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-2 and 5-4 at League Park in Cleveland. In the opener, Bob Feller set an American League record with 17 strikeouts. He also walked 9 batters. But he allowed only 2 runs on 2 hits, and went the distance. So it was a very strong performance.
It was his 11th major league appearance. He was 17 years and 315 days old.
Robert William Andrew Feller was born on November 3, 1918 in Van Meter, Iowa, about 20 miles west of the State Capitol in Des Moines. In their 1981 book The 100 Greatest Players In Baseball History, Lawrence S. Ritter and Donald Honig wrote, "Bob Feller remains baseball's only prodigy." The book was written after the exploits of Mickey Mantle, Herb Score and Tony Conigliaro; but those of Dwight Gooden and Bryce Harper have not changed this.
"Rapid Robert" debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1936, right after high school graduation. In his 1st game, on July 19, he pitched the last inning of a 9-5 loss away to the Washington Senators, and presaging the control issues he would have early in his career, walked 2 batters, but allowed no hits and no runs. On August 23, after 6 relief appearances, he made his 1st major league start. He struck out 15 batters, still a record for a 1st major league start. He walked 4, allowed 1 run on 6 hits, and the Indians beat the St. Louis Browns, 4-1.
In addition to those 17- and 15-strikeout games, he had 2 10-strikeout games. He went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA. Pretty good for a 17-year-old making 8 starts. He went 9-7 in 1937, again starting late because he was finishing high school. In 1938, his 1st full season, he went 17-11, and led the AL with 240 strikeouts. He also broke his own single-game AL strikeout record, with 18. It would be another 36 years before an AL pitcher fanned 19 in a 9-inning game.
Despite missing nearly 4 full seasons due to World War II, Feller went 266-162, with a 3.25 ERA, 2,581 strikeouts, and 3 no-hitters. He helped the Indians win the AL Pennant in 1948 and 1954, and the World Series in 1948. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his 1st year of eligibility, and became one of baseball's foremost elder statesmen, living until 2010.
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September 13, 1936 was a Sunday. It was too early for the NFL season to start. In addition to the Tribe's sweep of the A's, these games were played:
* The New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Browns, 10-7 and 13-1 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Kemp Wicker won the opener, in relief of Lefty Gomez. Johnny Murphy, normally a reliever, went the distance in the nightcap. Over the 2 games, Lou Gehrig went 3-for-7 with 2 home runs, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. Rookie Joe DiMaggio went 5-for-9 with 3 home runs, a walk, and 6 RBIs.
* A doubleheader was split at the Polo Grounds. The New York Giants won the 1st game, 8-4. Freddie Fitzsimmons won it. The St. Louis Cardinals won the 2nd game, 4-3. Dizzy Dean got the save with 2 innings of relief of winning pitcher Roy Parmelee. Giant manager Bill Terry, in his last month as an active player, went 1-for-4 with an RBI in the 1st game, and drew a walk as a pinch-hitter in the 2nd game. Over the 2 games, Mel Ott went 4-for-9 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs.
* A doubleheader was split at Ebbets Field. The Brooklyn Dodgers won the 1st game, 6-3. The Chicago Cubs won the 2nd game, 9-7.
* A doubleheader was split at National League Park, a.k.a. the Bee Hive, in Boston. The Cincinnati Reds won the 1st game, 2-1. The Boston Bees won the 2nd game, 6-1. This was the 1st of 5 seasons that the former Boston Braves tried to distance themselves from a horrible 1935 season by changing the names of their team and their stadium. It didn't take hold with the public, and in 1941, the names "Boston Braves" and "Braves Field" were restored.
* A doubleheader was split at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game, 5-3. The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2nd game, 4-3. Over the 2 games, Paul Waner went 3-for-6 with 2 walks and an RBI, and Lloyd Waner went 3-for-4 with 2 walks and an RBI.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-4 at Navin Field in Detroit. (It was renamed Briggs Stadium in 1938, and Tiger Stadium in 1961.) Jimmie Foxx went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and 2 RBIs. Hank Greenberg was injured, and did not play.
* And the Chicago White Sox and the Washington Senators were not scheduled -- which seems odd for a Sunday, but, according to Baseball-Reference.com, there is no explanation. No mention of a rainout. If there was, then it was never made up.
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