An Old Memory: The Bob Feller Museum

When I traveled to Evansville, Indiana this past weekend, the Evansville Courier brought back a memory that I hadn't thought about in a long time.  The article, Feller museum struggling to survive by Luke Meredith, brought me back to the spring of 2009 when I was making a trip down to the University of Iowa and we made a stop in the small town of Van Meter.

This town is so small if I blinked, we would've been out of the city limits.  But I had to make a stop at the Bob Feller Museum.  It was fascinating.

I learned that Feller was offered a $1 signing bonus from the Cleveland Indians and he never even received that money.  I also learned he is the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter on Opening Day.

Meredith's article though was about how the museum is struggling to stay open.  Obviously, being in such a small town, it does not get many people through its doors which makes it hard to turn any sort of profit.

This saddens me because I think this is what baseball is all about.  The history and the great players of the past who have made the game so enjoyable for me and millions of other people around the world.

This isn't the typical Pitcher's Duel post but just a friendly reminder that if you ever have the chance to honor the great history of baseball by visiting Cooperstown, reading a biography on a former player or by stopping in Van Meter, take the time to soak it all in.  Life is short and it should be everybody's goal to learn something new and honor America's Pastime.

Here is a link to Meredith's article: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/iowa-baseball-museum-struggles-when-namesake-dies