 In 1936 , Feller was signed by Cy Slapnicka , a scout for the Indians , for one dollar and an autographed baseball . While scouting Feller , Slapnicka said , " This was a kid pitcher I had to get . I knew he was something special . His fastball was fast and fuzzy ; it didn 't go in a straight line ; it would wiggle and shoot around . I didn 't know then that he was smart and had the heart of a lion , but I knew that I was looking at an arm the likes of which you see only once in a lifetime . " Feller was assigned to the Fargo @-@ Moorhead Twins and was to report there after finishing the high school semester . Slapnicka was later named general manager of the Indians and transferred Feller 's contract from Fargo @-@ Moorhead to the New Orleans Pelicans . He was planning to add Feller , along with outfielder Tommy Henrich , to the major league roster after a few exhibition and semi @-@ pro games without visiting either farm club . By doing so , the Indians would be in violation of Major League Baseball 's rule stating that , at the time , only minor league teams could sign amateur baseball players to contracts . After a three @-@ month investigation , concluding in December 1936 , about whether the Indians broke any Major League Baseball rules by signing Feller , Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis disagreed with the argument presented by Slapnicka and Indians president Alva Bradley , but awarded both Feller and Henrich free agency and required the club to pay a $ 7 @,@ 500 fine . Landis made the decision partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father , who wanted his son to play for Cleveland and who had also told Landis he would take the issue to court . Feller elected to remain with the Indians but Henrich joined the New York Yankees . Sports columnist Joe Williams wrote , " For $ 7500 the Cleveland Indians received $ 500 @,@ 000 worth of publicity . ... I feel pretty sure Mr. Alva Bradley , president of the Indians , will admit this is the cheapest investment he ever made in publicity . " 
