Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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As if somebody had written a clever script, Joe DiMaggio slowly walked to home plate. Bases loaded, nobody out, and the score tied. There were the two rising young stars at a do-or-die moment. The huge crowd roared when Feller eyed the plate, then threw two sizzling fastballs by Joe D. The next pitch was an off-speed curveball that got too much of the plate. Di Maggio swung and hammered the ball way back in left field. Moose Solters raced to the wall but watched helplessly as the drive landed well into the seats for a grand slam home run! Di Maggio had won the battle in spectacular style. Steve O’Neill trotted to the mound to ask his pitcher if he wanted out. Feller refused to leave the rubber, intent on finishing the game. The final score stayed at Yankees 5, Indians 1.

Feller’s last delivery to retire the side gave him an out-of-this-world pitch count of 171. He recorded seven strikeouts, eight walks (yes, that’s right), and one hit batter. Feller held the powerful Yankees in check for eight full innings, something that most pitchers in the American League could not do. Although his record for the season slipped to a surprising 0–4, Feller had served notice that the best was yet to come.