On This Date in Sports April 16, 1940
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Cleveland Indians hurler Bob Feller, delivers the best opening day start in the history of baseball as he pitches a No-Hitter against the against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park, earning a 1-0 win. Feller allowed five walks, and struck out eight batters, as Rollie Hemsley provided the offense with a run-scoring triple in the fourth inning. It would be the first of three career no-hitters for Bob Feller.
Bob Feller was born on November 3, 1918, in Van Meer, Iowa. He would make his debut with the Cleveland Indians on July 19, 1936, at age of 17. Two months later Feller dazzled the Philadelphia Athletics with 17 strikeouts. In a 1938 game, Bob Feller became the first pitcher with 18 strikeouts in a game against the Detroit Tigers, earning the nickname Rabid Robert.
Coming off a 24-9 season, Bob Feller was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball as he got the ball on Opening Day for the Tribe against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park, who had Eddie Smith on the mound. With 14,000 in attendance, neither pitcher allowed a hit in the first inning, both pitchers escaped a jam in the second inning, as Cleveland got a hit by Rollie Hemsley, while the White Sox loaded the bases with an error by Roy Weatherly in centerfield and two walks. After a quiet third inning, the Indians got on the board in the fourth, as Jeff Heath scored on a triple by Hemsley. Staked the with a 1-0 lead, Bob Feller found his groove, retiring the side in order in each of the next four innings. Clint Brown relieved Eddie Smith and retired the Indians in order in the top of the ninth as Feller looked to make history. Mike Kreevich led off the ninth inning with a popup caught by second baseman Ray Mack. Moose Solters ground out to Lou Boudreau at short, for the second out. After retiring 15 straight Chicago batters, Feller walked Luke Appling with two outs. However, Taffy Wright ground out to second to end the game and complete the No-Hitter for Bob Feller as the Indians began the season with a 1-0 win.
The Cleveland Indians would find themselves in a three-way battle with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees for the American League Pennant in 1940. In the end, they would fall one game short of the Tigers, with a record of 89-65, robbing fans in the Buckeye State of a possible all Ohio World Series. The Chicago White Sox had a decent season themselves, finishing tied with the Boston Red Sox for fourth place with a record of 82-72.
Bob Feller’s No-Hitter, remains the only No-Hitter in baseball history to be thrown on Opening Day. Feller would later become just the third pitcher in baseball history, joining Larry Corcoran and Cy Young to toss three career No-Hitters. Tossing his second No-Hitter on April 30, 1949, against the New York Yankees and July 1, 1951, against the Detroit Tigers. Only Sandy Koufax with four and Nolan Ryan with seven have thrown more than three career No-Hitters. Bob Feller would finish his career in 1956, with a record of 266-162, pitching in his entire career with the Indians, while losing nearly four full seasons while serving aboard the USS Alabama during World War II.