American Valor Quarterly Issue 8 - Winter 2010/2011 | Page 21

A couple of years later we booked a car and driver to pick Bob up at Reagan National Airport and I dispatched staffer Mary Jane Garner to the airport to accompany him. When the driver failed to show up and Bob was forced to stand in long line to get a cab he upbraided Mary Jane for incompetence. First thing next morning though, Bob approached Mary Jane and presented her with an autographed baseball saying,” Here, I want you to have this. You’re doing a great job.” On May 30, 2009 we arranged for Bob to throw out the first pitch at Washington Nationals ballpark. At age 90, pitching from the mound, Bob fired a fastball strike across the middle of the plate. On Memorial Day weekend, 2009, then-90-year-old Bob Feller was invited to throw out the first pitch at Washington Nationals ballpark while he was in town for the National Memorial Day Parade. After taking the mound, Feller wound up and threw a perfect strike. The crowd erupted in a roar, among the loudest that would be heard that afternoon, as Feller waved and made his way back toward the Nationals’ dugout, where he was greeted by a mob of players. This past May I assigned young staffer Danny Brosnan, a former college baseball pitcher, and his high school coach to accompany Bob and Anne for the two days they were in Washington for the National Memorial Day Parade. “I’ll tell you right now,” Bob told Danny on the phone prior to his arrival, “ I am not going to be talking baseball with you and your coach.” He then proceeded to talk baseball with Danny Bob never regretted his service, despite estimates that it cost him and his coach for two days. 90-100 more wins. Despite his gruff demeanor Bob had a heart of gold. At our “I just did what any good American man would do and most conferences he was exceptionally generous with his time, signing did,” he said, telling me “I could have never looked myself in the baseballs and posing for photos for hours, engaging the attendees in conversation and patiently answering questions. Bob was active mirror if I hadn’t served.” in charitable work until the end of his life. He was especially concerned about today’s young people, telling the students at our Bob could be gruff and he was always brutally candid. conference how fortunate they were to live in the greatest county When he commented that many Latin American baseball players in the world and that they had a moral obligation to serve their “don’t understand the rules of the game,” a remark that was county in some meaningful way. widely criticized as ethnically insensitive, he refused to apologize He also told the audience saying.” I’m not P.C. My wife is P.C.” that he was more proud His wife Anne responded jokingly that she had asked her doctor of his military service than of his baseball record. if it “was possible to die of embarrassment.” At the 2005 American Veterans Center awards banquet I Asked what he wanted to introduced Bob to Gen. Richard Myers, then Chairman of the be remembered for, Bob replied, “as an American Joint Chief of Staff, and Mrs. Myers. who loved his country. Skipping the pleasantries, Bob told the general, “I think you need Not for baseball.” a hundred thousand more troops in Iraq.” This great American will be When Gen. Myers responded that “the commanders on the original ground have not asked for them,” Bob responded, “Well, you’re remembered for both. the top commander. Send them!” Bob Feller pictured with a student in the Young Marines program at the AVC’s Annual Conference. Bob always found AVQ time for young people, especially when it involved talking about the importance of service to our country. Mr. Roberts is President of the Gen. and Mrs. Myers were not pleased, but I told Mrs. Myers American Veterans Center. AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Winter 2010/11 - 21 American Veterans Center later not to take it personally, that Bob had said harsher things to me and that we were still friends.