MLB Star Paused Career to Serve the Country

By: Sports As a Job

In 1935, a 16-year-old still in high school by the name of Bob Feller was signed by the Cleveland Indians. He was featured on Time Magazine when he was a senior in high school and graduated as a professional ballplayer while recovering from an elbow injury. By the time he was 22, he had a win-loss record of 107-54. He set new records for strikeouts in a game (18 strikeouts) and became the youngest pitcher (20 years old) to win 20 games in a single season.
 
In 1941, the infamous bombing of Pearl Harbor marked the inevitability of the United States entering World War II. The story goes that Bob Feller was driving and heard the news on the radio, and despite his athletic accolades and being eligible for deferment, decided to enlist in the United States Navy. He was the first player in baseball to put his career on pause to serve his country, and many other ballplayers followed his example.
 
Feller served in the Navy until he was transferred to inactive duty in 1945. In the years Feller served, he earned eight battle stars and five campaign ribbons. Immediately upon his return to baseball and the Cleveland Indians, Feller led the team to beat the Detroit Tigers 4 -2, where he twirled a 12 strikeout, complete game in his first professional outing in over 44 months.

His impressive resume did not end with his retirement in 1956. That same year, Feller was elected president of the first Baseball Players Association. His uniform number was retired by the Cleveland Indians in 1957. To cap it all off, Feller was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1957. His years in retirement were spent serving the Cleveland community and promoting the game of baseball to the kids. Bob Feller's story of sacrifice and service inspired the birth of Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation.

We are honored to announce that Sports As a Job and the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation have agreed to a supporting partnership. We are united by the mission of educating future and current leaders. Here is an explanation from their website on who they are and what they do.          

"We must never forget the level of sacrifice and dedication of our military to this great nation. We educate Americans of all ages through on-field ceremony recognition of current and Hall of Fame MLB players that support our military, events with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, the Walk of Heroes displays in museums and ballparks, and our annual award ceremony each year in Washington D.C.”

Additionally, they offer a scholarship program for students of military families, veterans, or current service members wishing to further their education. The foundation also hosts an event called the University Speaker Series. The in-person and virtual event outlines the journey to career in sports and connects students with current leaders in the sports industry.            
The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation offers a remote internship program. The internship program offers you the opportunity to gain valuable experience and make an immediate impact in the sports world. There are a wide range of opportunities, ranging from:

- Fundraising
- Events
- Marketing/Communications
- Education
- Baseball Relations
- Military Relations 

You can find more information about the internship  here.

It is an honor for Sports As a Job to assist in bringing exposure to the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation and hope that the Sports as a Job community will take advantage of this exciting opportunity. We are united by the mission to educate future leaders.           

Visit the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation website here and donate here. You can also follow the them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. @ActofValorAward