Bob Feller - Baseball's Andy Rooney

Bob Feller, a Hall of Famer who pitched for the Indians in the 40's and 50's, has always been a crotchety old man, even when he was a young 'un. He has the distinction of being the first baseball player to charge for autographs, was a very vocal opponent of integration (in his opinion, Jackie Robinson was too 'muscle-bound' to play effectively), and publicly chastised Major League Baseball for honoring Muhammed Ali (because he was, according to Feller, a 'draft-dodger') at an All-Star Game.

And now he speaks again. During a radio interview to discuss comments by the recently fired San Francisco Giants announcer who stupidly decried 'brain-dead Caribbean players' that don't know the rules, Feller once again showed his xenophobic nature by firmly agreeing. When pressed by the host of the show, who is black, to cite specific examples of Latin ballplayers 'not understanding the rules', Feller became combative. He threatened to end the interview if he wasn't shown proper respect, to which the host basically told him fuck off.

Feller is interesting because he also has the distinction of the being the first ballplayer to enlist in the military following Pearl Harbor. He rejected a cushy, stateside posting to become a gun chief on a warship, and served for four years. What's problematic is that I think many people dismiss Feller's less polite comments because he sacrificed four prime years of his career. He's a 'Real' American, an Iowa farmboy who made good with his 100 mile an hour heater and served his country at a dire time. For that, he should be commended. But a racist is a racist, and he should get no free passes.