 Robert William Andrew Feller ( November 3 , 1918 – December 15 , 2010 ) , nicknamed " The Heater from Van Meter " , " Bullet Bob " , and " Rapid Robert " , was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the Cleveland Indians . Feller pitched from 1936 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1956 , interrupted only by a four @-@ year sojourn in the Navy . In a career spanning 570 games , Feller pitched 3 @,@ 827 innings and posted a win – loss record of 266 – 162 , with 279 complete games , 44 shutouts , and a 3 @.@ 25 earned run average ( ERA ) . 
