The Texarkana Gazette is the premier source for local news and sports in Texarkana and the surrounding Arklatex areas. Bob Feller Gun Captain to Legendary Pitcher. From the days of the Minutemen, America has always had its citizensoldiers. Over the years, their contribution to the nations armed forces has been enormous. Invariably, their time in uniform also has had a lasting impact on their lives. With this issue, we inaugurate a new feature, Answering the Call, in which men and women who served a few years in the military, then went back home to notable civilian careers, talk about their days in uniform and how their experiences affected their lives. Our first guest columnist is Bob Feller, the legendary pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, who interrupted a stunning career in the Major Leagues to enlist in the Navy at the start of World War II. As Navy Chief Petty Officer Robert Feller, he participated in some of the best known sea battles in the Pacific. When the war was over, he returned to the mound and resumed a straight shot to station Baseball Hall of Fame. Heres his account of his military service and what it has meant to him. I never have to strain my memory to recall the day I decided to join the Navy. It was 7 December 1. I was driving from my home in Van Meter, Iowa, to Chicago to discuss my next contract with the Cleveland Indians, and I heard over the car radio that the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor. I was angry as hell. Id spent almost six full seasons in the major leagues by then, with a record of 1. I had a family related draft exemption, but I knew right then that I had to answer the call. I arrived in Chicago late that afternoon to meet Cy Slapnicka, the Indians general manager, who had come there to talk about my contract for 1. Med-Ball-Crow-Hop-Overhead-Throw.jpg' alt='Combat Pitcher Training Program' title='Combat Pitcher Training Program' />I then phoned Gene Tunney, the former world heavyweight boxing champion and an old friend. A commander, Gene was in charge of the Navys physical training program. He flew out from Washington and swore me in on Tuesday, 9 December. After my basic training, the Navy made me a chief petty officer and assigned me as a physical training instructor. It was valuable in its way, but I wanted to go into combat. Id had a lot of experience with guns as a kid, so I applied for gunnery school and sea duty. After four months of naval gunnery school in Newport, Rhode Island, I was assigned to a battleship, the USS Alabama BB 6. Abstract. The question of women soldiers has generated substantial historical research, but of mixed quality. This paper from a chapter of War and Gender How. Action in the North Atlantic and the Pacific. I got what I wanted. The Alabama spent six months escorting convoys in the North Atlantic, and then in August 1. Panama Canal and headed for the central Pacific. Over the next two years, we saw action off Tarawa, and in the Marshalls, the Carolines, and the Philippines. We bombarded beaches to support amphibious assaults, served as escorts for aircraft carriers, and fended off kamikaze attacks. Two enemy bombs hit the ship during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, and we survived a typhoon that pummeled us with 8. Philippine coast. The Alabama never lost a man to enemy action. The people we had on the gun crews were very good shots. In March 1. 94. 5, I was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Center and managed the baseball team there. In the third week of August, just 1. United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, I went on inactive duty. It was back to baseball after that. I rejoined the Indians on 2. August and pitched eight games. I won five and lost three. Serving in the military is almost always a defining moment for any young man or woman. Youre young and impressionable. You meet a lot of new people, and you travel to new places. You learn to be on time, how to follow and, eventually, how to lead. You Never Forget Combat But it makes a difference when you go through a war, no matter which branch of the service youre in. Combat is an experience that you never forget. A war teaches you that baseball is only a game, after all a minor thing, compared to the sovereignty and security of the United States. I once told a newspaper reporter that the bombing attack we lived through on the Alabama had been the most exciting 1. After that, I said, the pinstriped perils of Yankee Stadium seemed trivial. Thats still true today. You and your comrades never lose touch. Ive gone to my share of Alabama reunions, and all of us treat each other as shipmates no matter what else weve done or accomplished or havent over the years. I still remember with pain the sailor who stopped by my compartment to talk baseball during one of our North Atlantic convoy runs. A few minutes later, he was missing. Apparently hed fallen overboard into rough seas an accident of war. Like anyone who has been under fire, Im certainly not a war booster. But I still believe, as I did that grim Sunday afternoon in December 1. Im well aware of the hardships that our servicemembers are enduring right now. Serving Your Country. For myself, I wouldnt be unhappy if they re imposed a draft not just because we need more troops to meet our needs, but because going through military training is such a character builder for young people. Everyone ought to serve his or her country for a couple of years or more, even in times of peace. I was at Great Lakes Naval Training Center a few months ago, where Id been invited to speak to the graduates of the Navys basic school, and someone asked whether Id urge my grandson to sign up, as I had done. My answer was a resounding yes. Im still a Navy man at heart. And Im proud to have served. Answering the Call is a monthly series of short articles by prominent men and women discussing the impact of their time in the military on their later lives. Baseball Strength Training Be A Better Hitter. A baseball training program should incorporate a strength training component. Strength is crucial for baseball success. The two primary reasons for this are to develop explosive power and to protect against injury especially arm injuries. Many players neglect to develop explosive power. The reasons for this are varied. Some dont know how. Some have tried lifting weights, and become injured doing the wrong kind of baseball weight training. Some dont think its important guess again. In baseball training, little things add up to make a huge difference. If you add even a small increase in your power, your game will improve in all areas. Here are some general guidelines for baseball training Use a variety of weight training methods such as free weights, body weight, medicine ball, kettlebells and surgical tubing exercises. Avoid pressing movements with heavy weights risky for the shoulder. Train your lower body with heavier weights. Train your upper body with lighter weights. Never forget to train the core of the body hips, buttocks, lower back. You must take special care to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles using light 3 5 lb weights. Your aim with baseball training is to build functional strength. Baseball is a sport that requires you to stop, start, and explode. Its a sport dependent on explosive bursts of power, and reactions. You must train your body to be strongat a variety of angles and planes. Every player bends, twists, and throws. Medicine balls. Medicine balls are an excellent baseball training tool. A solid medicine ball routine builds explosive power, and teaches your muscles to work together as one tightly knit unit. Id start with an 8 or 9 pounder. Here are a couple of suggestions Find a place where you have a solid wall and about 1. Hold the medicine ball in both hands at chest height like a basketball player about to make a chest pass. At the same time, squat down and leap off the ground. Jump up in the air and push the ball up as high as you can against the wall. Quickly retrieve the ball and continue the drill for 3. See how many you can complete. Grab the medicine ball with your hands underneath. Squat down so that your thighs come parallel with the ground the ball is held with your arms dangling in front of your body. When you squat down, they almost touch the ground. Leap up off the ground, and at the same time, thrust the ball up in the air watch that you dont get hit by the ball as it comes down. Do as many as you can in 3. Both of these above drills will build incredible strength and power. They are excellent for baseball training. Find out more about medicine balls and routines at Medicine Balls. Weight lifting. Weight lifting routines for baseball can be tricky. Many baseball players make the mistake of trying to lift too much weight with various overhead lifts. This can lead to a potential injury to the rotator cuff the muscles in the shoulder that basically keep your arm in the shoulder socket pretty darn important for a baseball player. Lets get something really clear right now. If you cant throw a baseball or you cant throw it very well, then youre not much use to your team. I dont know of many designated hitters being recruited by colleges or signed to Major League contracts. So, baseball weight training should avoid any overhead lifts with heavy weights. What do I recommend for baseball training Lets start with lower body. Exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and leg press for lower body. Heavier weights are okay here, but get a spotter Learn to do the lifts correctly And, there are some other exercises you can do that will really make a differencetry doing body weight lunges at different angles, and single leg squats these are very difficult. Orange Is New Black S03e04. These two lower body exercises build excellent strength and flexibility in the core area. And, thats crucial for baseball training. Theres an excellent baseball training web site that provides detailed training programs for baseball players and other athletes. You owe it to yourself to take a look at this. Theres no doubt youll find information that will take your game to a much higher level. Its the best info out there Baseball Training Programs. Take care of your arm Your baseball career depends on your arm. Dont neglect your rotator cuff exercises. The rotator cuff is made up of four small muscles. They respond very well to very light weights 3 5 lbs, and higher reps, say 1. Surgical tubing is one of the best ways to build up your rotator cuff. You should do exercises several times a week. There are dozens of good rotator exercises. Check your favorite search engine for rotator cuff exercises and youll find one youll like. Your baseball training mustinclude the rotator cuff. Oh, one more thing. Always stretch out your arm rotators before you start throwing and afterwards. And, if youre a pitcher, I recommend you get out the surgical tubing and get a little work in with it too before you throw. Give yourself every edge and advantage with your baseball training. Okay. How about your upper body No baseball conditioning program would be complete without good old fashioned push ups. Hey, I know theyre not high tech, but they are excellent for baseball. Why you askbecause they strengthen the rotator cuff, and the rest of your shoulder arm strength, as well as your chest, and arm muscles. They give you an awesome return on your sweat equity. Try a wide varietyand see if you can work up to a one armed pushup. When you can crank off 1. Push ups are better than bench presses. But if you must bench press, only use dumbbells. And, avoid heavy weights. Again, the risk of injury to the shoulder is ever present, especially with a barbell. So, if youre going to bench press, use dumbbells with a spotter. Next, you need to do some chin ups. Do them both with palms facing forward and towards you. These are difficult most people can only do 3 or 4, but again, you get a lot of bang for the buck with this body weight exercise. Dont underestimate the value of body weight exercises like lunges, push ups and chin ups. Try them. Youll be amazed at what a regular, simple routine can do for you. And, the risk of injury is minimal. An alternative to chin ups are rows. Id look for a machine that allows you to do them sitting down. Dont do lat pull downs in front of your head again, to avoid injury to your shoulders. Kettlebells can be an excellent baseball training device. In particular, for the lower body. Kettlebell swings build explosive power in the hips, buttocks, and legs not to mention stamina. Those muscles generate the explosive power and speed youre after. Id avoid the overhead snatches, and clean and jerks, but the lower body lifts and other core area exercises would be fantastic. Kettlebells are small and portable. You can take them anywhere. You can get a fantastic workout in just 1. Whats that Youve never heard of kettlebells No problem Elite combat troops have known about them for a whileand many athletes are using them to gain an edge on the competition.