Pat Donahue started playing professional baseball in 1902. He enjoyed a 14-year pro career that included 119 big league games for the Red Sox, Athletics, and Indians.

After retiring as a player in 1917, Donahue became a minor league umpire and later a scout. By 1935 a 50-year old Donahue was umpiring semi-pro games in Des Moines, Iowa.

It was in this capacity that he first saw 16-year old Bob Feller. Born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa, Feller traveled the 20 miles to Des Moines with his team. Donahue watched the youngster strike out 18 batters in one game and 21 in the next.

Donahue alerted Indians scout Cy Slapnicka and Cleveland scouting director and Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans. The Indians beat out a dozen other teams and signed Feller.

The fireballing right hander went on to a Hall of Fame career that included three no-hitters, 12 one-hitters, and 266 wins. The Tribe paid Donahue a measly $200 for the tip that changed their franchise.

In the collection is this letter on Philadelphia Athletics letterhead from Pat Donahue dated January 9, 1949. Three months earlier, Feller and the Indians won the the ’48 Fall Classic.

At the time the letter was written, Feller was a 7-time All Star with 177 wins to his credit. By ‘49 Rapid Robert topped the AL in strikeouts seven times.

Donahue writes, “Thank you for the honor. From that man who discovered Bob Feller and received a lousy $200 from big hearted Slapnicka. He has only made 50 grand off of Feller. I’ll laugh that off.” Donahue has signed the bottom of the correspondence.

One of the game’s greatest pitchers, Bob Feller won 266 games despite missing four seasons of his prime in World War II.

After reaching the big leagues at age 17, Feller hit the ground running. Rapid Robert won 107 games before the start of the war by averaging more than 23 wins per season from 1938-1941. Then with three consecutive 20-wins seasons, Feller left for the war.

The 8-time all star then missed each of the next three seasons before returning for nine games in 1945. The following year, Feller was back to form, leading the league with 26 wins and a career-high 348 strikeouts. That same season, Feller threw the second of his three no-hitters.

In the collection is a Yankee Stadium program and scorecard from that no-hit bid of April 30, 1946. It signed by Feller with a nice inscription.

Bob Feller autographed this 1946 scorecard just below an ad for Chesterfield Cigarettes. “Jim this is the program from 4/30/46 the day I pitched the no-hitter against the Yankees. Enjoy, Bob Feller”.

This was the second no-hitter of Feller’s career. Five years later in 1951 Feller threw his third no-hit game to tie the MLB record shared by the great Cy Young and 19th century hurler Larry Corcoran.

Dodger legend Sandy Koufax broke the record by throwing a no-no in four consecutive seasons starting in 1962. Koufax held the mark until Nolan Ryan threw the fifth of his seven no-hitters in 1981.

In 2019 Justin Verlander became the sixth hurler with at least three no-hitters when he threw a gem against against the Blue Jays.

Bob Feller’s second no-hit game came against the 1946 Yankee roster that boasted six future Hall of Famers. Four were in the lineup that day – leadoff man Phil Rizzuto, cleanup hitter Joe DiMaggio, the career record-holder for homers by an AL second baseman in Joe Gordon, and catcher Bill Dickey. Bob Feller tamed Joe McCarthy’s lineup, striking out 11.

Tough luck pitcher Bill Bevens pitched a gem for the Yankees scattering seven hits in the 1-0 loss. Interestingly, the Indians’ starting center fielder that day was future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Lemon.

Shown here is the cover and back page of the program that Feller signed.

Cy Young pitched from 1890-1911 and won 511 games. When Young died in 1955 baseball commissioner Ford Frick decided to annually honor the best pitcher in the big leagues with the Cy Young Award.

From 1956-1966 one award was given for both leagues. In 1967 baseball switched gears and recognized one pitcher from each league.

Shown here is an 8×10 photo of an aging Cy Young with Indians great Bob Feller. The Cleveland pitcher has signed his name over his uniform.

Though he led the American League in wins six times and was clearly the best pitcher in his league in multiple seasons, timing prohibited Feller from winning the Cy Young Award. With his best years behind him, Feller pitched only in the first year the award was offered.