 A prodigy who bypassed the minor leagues , Feller first played for the Indians at the age of 17 . His career was interrupted by four years of military service in World War II , during which time he served as Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Alabama . Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21 . During his career , he threw no @-@ hitters in 1940 , 1946 , and 1951 . Feller also recorded 12 one @-@ hitters ( his no @-@ hitters and one @-@ hitters were records at the time of his retirement ) . He helped the Indians win a World Series title in 1948 and an American League @-@ record 111 wins and the pennant in 1954 . Feller led the American League in wins six times and in strikeouts seven times . In 1946 , he recorded 348 strikeouts , a total not exceeded for 19 years . An eight @-@ time All @-@ Star , Feller was ranked 36th on Sporting News 's list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was named the publication 's " greatest pitcher of his time " . He was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All @-@ Century Team in 1999 . 
