That total has since been surpassed by Sandy Koufax (four no-hitters) and Nolan Ryan (seven no-hitters). Justin Verlander also joined the three-no-hitter club in September of 2019.

That still leaves Rapid Robert in some pretty good company!

Here is the complete list of Bob Feller no-hitters:

April 16, 1940

The Indians beat the Chicago White Sox (1-0) on the strength of Feller’s five-walk, eight-strikeout effort that still stands as the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League Baseball history.

April 30, 1946

After missing most of four seasons serving in World War II, Feller was even better in second no-hitter than he had been in his first. In leading Cleveland to a 1-0 victory over the mighty New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Feller again walked five but struck out eleven Bronx Bombers.

July 1, 1951

In the midst of his final 20-win season, Feller cranked up the old no-hit machine one more time on July 1, 1951, as the Indians took on the Detroit Tigers at home in Cleveland Stadium. This was the sloppiest of Feller’s no-hitters, as he struck out just five Bengals, and three walks combined with two errors (one by Feller himself) to allow a Detroit run. In the end, though, the Tribe emerged with a 2-1 victory.

His interment was a final homecoming of sorts: Maris grew up and went to high school in Fargo, attending Bishop Stanley High School. He was born in Hibbing, Minnesota.

Maris signed out of high school with the Cleveland Indians, who traded him in 1958 to the Kansas City Athletics. In December of 1959, the A’s traded Maris to the New York Yankees.

It was in New York, of course, that Maris broke out, winning the American League MVP award in 1960 and repeating the feat in 1961, when he also just happened to break Babe Ruth‘s single-season home run record.

In the process, Maris outslugged teammate Mickey Mantle, 61 homers to 54 and divided fans on whether his record should count since the mark fell in the Bombers’ 163rd game of the season.

Ruth’s 1927 Yanks had played under the old 154-game schedule.

In the end the mark stood and became baseball’s new standard. And, though Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds have since surpassed Maris’ 61, many still consider the Rajah to be baseball’s single-season home run king.

While many of the first players from Germany were immigrants — or the children of immigrants — coming to America looking for opportunities as the still-new country continued to expand, today’s group is more of a mixed bag.

First-generation Americans who immigrated from Germany still find their way to the big leagues, but so to do those born on German soil while one or both of their American parents were stationed in Deutschland during military service.

Here is the complete list of German MLB players over the years, from those born and raised in Europe, to Americans born in Germany.

(Each entry includes the player name, birthplace, and date of birth. Dates culled from Baseball Reference).

• Aaron Altherr – Landstuhl, Germany (January 14, 1991)
• Jeff Baker – Bad Kissingen, West Germany (June 21, 1981)
• Heinz Becker – Berlin, Germany (August 26, 1915)
• Rob Belloir – Heidelberg, West Germany (July 13, 1948)
• Mike Blowers – Wurzburg, West Germany (April 24, 1965)
• Fritz Buelow – Berlin, Germany (February 13, 1876)
• Bobby Davidson – Bad Kurznach, West Germany (January 06, 1963)
• Pep Deininger – Wasseralfingen, Germany (October 10, 1877)
• Brendan Donovan – Wurzberg, Germany (January 16, 1997)
• Ed Eiteljorge – Berlin, Germany (October 14, 1871)
• Fred Gaiser – Stuttgart, Germany (August 31, 1885)
• Ron Gardenhire – Butzbach, West Germany (October 24, 1957)
• Charlie Getzien – Germany (February 14, 1864)
• George Heubel – Germany (1849)
• Glenn Hubbard – Hahn Air Force Base, West Germany (September 25, 1957)
• Edwin Jackson – Neu-Ulm, Germany (September 09, 1983)
• Steve Kent – Frankfurt, Germany (October 03, 1978)
• Max Kepler – Berlin, Germany (February 10, 1993)
• Ed Kippert – Stetten, Germany (January 23, 1879)
• Ben Koehler – Schoerndorn, Germany (January 26, 1877)
• Marty Krug – Koblenz, Germany (September 10, 1888)
• Bill Kuehne – Leipzig, Germany (October 24, 1858)
• Craig Lefferts – Munich, West Germany (September 29, 1957)
• Bruce Maxwell – Wiesbaden, Germany (December 20, 1990)
• Tom McCarthy – Lundstahl, West Germany (June 18, 1961)
• Bill Miller – Bad Schwalbach, Germany (May 23, 1879)
• Fritz Mollwitz – Coburg, Germany (June 16, 1890)
• Will Ohman – Frankfurt, West Germany (August 13, 1977)
• Dave Pavlas – Frankfurt, West Germany (August 12, 1962)
• Reggie Richter – Dusseldorf, Germany (September 14, 1888)
• Skel Roach – Danzig, Germany (October 20, 1871)
• Phoenix Sanders – Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany (June 05, 1995)
• Dutch Schesler – Frankfurt, Germany (June 01, 1900)
• Dutch Schliebner – Berlin, Germany (May 19, 1891)
• Mickey Scott – Weimar, Germany (July 25, 1947)
• Gus Shallix – Paderborn, Germany (March 29, 1858)
• Tobi Stoner – Landstuhl, Germany (December 03, 1984)
• Bob Troy – Bad Wurzach, Germany (August 27, 1888)
• Tony Welzer – Germany (April 05, 1899)
• Stefan Wever – Marburg, West Germany (April 22, 1958)
• Henry Youngman – Horde, Germany (November 21, 1865)
• Bill Zimmerman – Kengen, Germany (January 20, 1887)

In addition to these players there have also been four MLB managers born in Germany:

• Judge Fuchs – Hamburg, Germany (April 17, 1878)
• Ron Gardenhire – Butzbach, West Germany (Oct 24, 1957)
• Joe Miller (Jul 24, 1850)
• Chris Von Der Ahe – Hille, Germany (Oct 7, 1851)

Gardenhire, of course, is well-known to modern baseball fans as a long-time member of the Minnesota Twins, both as a player in the 1980s and manager in the 2000s.

Nevertheless, young Salvatore Frank Fasano soon caught the diamond bug and distinguished himself as a star hitter and catcher during his prep years at Hoffman Estates High School.

A solid college career followed at the University of Evansville, setting up Fasano for a run in the major leagues that at times seemed unlikely at best.

And, while he never did suit up for either of his hometown teams, Sal Fasano forged a big league career that was the envy of 99.9999% of the baseball-dreaming population.

Here are seven facts about the man that you probably didn’t know!

Late Pick

The Kansas City Royals chose Fasano with the 37th pick out of the University of Evansville in 1993. He began his minor league career right away and also stood out right away: in 49 games with the Low-A Eugene Emeralds, Fasano popped ten home runs. He also collected his first professional triple, which, in retrospect was a moment to relish.

Steady Ascent

Despite his low draft status, Fasano climbed steadily through the Royals’ minor league system on the strength of a powerful bat and solid work behind the plate. He hit 22 homers in two Single-A stops in 1994, then followed up with 32 dingers between stops at Wilmington (High-A) and Wichita (Double-A) in 1995.

(Near) Opening Day Debut

Fasano skipped Triple-A the first time around, landing on Kansas City’s roster to begin the 1996 season. He made his debut, starting at catcher, on April 3, the Royals’ second game of the season. That one came against the Baltimore Orioles on the road at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Although Fasano eventually would appear in 29 games for the Triple-A Omaha Royals after being sent back down, he played 51 games in K.C. and connected on 6 bombs as a rookie.

Up-and-Down

From 1996 through 1999, Fasano appeared in at least 13 games for the big-league Royals each summer, topping out at 74 in 1998. But he was also sent back to Omaha each season, and even to Double-A Wichita for a stint in 1997.

Speed Demon

During his 11-year MLB career, Sal Fasano reached base 364 times by virtue of hits, walks, and being hit by pitches. He hit 47 home runs and zero triples, meaning he was on base 347 times when he theoretically could have attempted a stolen base. He tried just five times and was thrown out in three of them, for a success rate of 40%.

Hit the Road, Jack (Sal)

On March 30, 2000, just as a new season dawned, the Royals “sold” Fasano to the Oakland A’s. It was the beginning of a dizzying stretch that would see the veteran catcher change teams at least 14 times through the end of his career in 2009.

Everybody Needs More Catching!

As he aged, Fasano’s power waned and his generally mediocre offensive production continued (career OPS+ of 76), but he also continued to provide solid handling of the pitching staff whenever he squatted behind the plate. The result was the aforementioned world tour of MLB teams that resulted in his seeing action with nine different big league franchises:

• Kansas City Royals
• Oakland Athletics
• Colorado Rockies
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Cleveland Indians
• Anaheim Angels
• New York Yankees
• Baltimore Orioles
• Toronto Blue Jays

He was likely dubbed “Babe” by his veteran teammates when he debuted as a teenager with the minor league Baltimore Orioles in 1914. He was perceived as being a special project of O’s owner Jack Dunn and, indeed, to have received special treatment.

Thus, Ruth was Dunn’s darling, or Dunn’s “babe.”

As Babe Ruth moved into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher, and especially during his legendary run with the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s, he picked up many other monikers.

Here is a partial, though mostly complete, list Babe Ruth’s nicknames:

• Babe
• Bam
• Bambino
• Blunderbuss
• Herman the Great
• Jack Dunn’s baby
• Jidge
• Mastodon
• Monarch
• The Behemoth of Bust
• The Big Bam
• The Big Fellow
• The Caliph of Clout
• The Colossus of Clout
• The Great Bambino
• The King of Crash
• The King of Swing
• The Maharajah of Mash
• The Mauling Menace
• Modern Beowulf
• The Prince of Pounders
• The Rajah of Rap
• The Sachem of Slug
• The Sultan of Swat
• The Titan of Terror
• The Wali of Wallop
• The Wazir of Wham
• The Wizard of Whack

It was the kind of headline that topped newspapers across the United States and around the world following the death of Babe Ruth in the summer of 1948.

Even though everyone knew the Sultan of Swat had been unwell for some time, it was still a shock to see THE baseball god stricken down at the young age of 53.

Here are 10 facts surrounding Babe Ruth’s death that every baseball fans should know.

Babe Ruth Died on August 16, 1948

Ruth died nearly two years after being diagnosed with cancer, in 1946.

What Kind of Cancer Did Babe Ruth Have?

Ruth was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his neck and at the base of his skull in November of 1946 after developing pain and a loss of vision in his right eye, and difficulty swallowing.

He underwent various treatments, including early forms of chemotherapy, over the next two years, before succumbing to the disease.

Babe Ruth Died at Memorial Hospital

Ruth entered New York’s Memorial Hospital in New York during the summer of 1948 and never left … aside from a July 26 jaunt to see the premiere of The Babe Ruth Story (affiliate link) starring William Bendix at a New York City theater.

Babe Ruth Visited Yankee Stadium One Final Time

On June 13, 1948, Ruth and other surviving members of the 1923 Yankees were honored at Yankee Stadium as part of the of the ballpark’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Widely known as “The House That Ruth Built,” Yankee Stadium would become the site of many of Ruth’s most famous moments, and one of the most iconic sporting venues in all the world.

During his final visit to The Stadium on that summer day, Ruth was photographed facing “Ruthville” in right field, standing near home plate and using a bat as a cane.

Nat Fein snapped a photo of Ruth from behind, and that iconic image won a Pulitzer Prize.

Babe Ruth Lay in State at Yankee Stadium

For two days after dying in his sleep, Babe Ruth lay in state, in his open casket, in the Yankee Stadium rotunda. Nearly 80,000 mourners passed by in that period to pay tribute to the great Bambino.

Lasting Effects of Babe Ruth Death

Even years after Babe Ruth died, his passing continued to impact the game and popular culture.

On April 19, 1949, for example, the Yankees unveiled a granite monument to their lost legend in centerfield at Yankee Stadium. It was the beginning of a long tradition of the Bronx Bombers honoring their franchise greats with similar tributes.

The place where those statues stand is now known as Monument Park, and includes the likenesses of such Yankees greats as Thurman Munson, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, and many others.

In 1973, Babe Ruth’s birthplace in Baltimore was restored and opened to the public as a museum.

Even today, Ruth’s impact on baseball and popular culture cannot be overstated. He remains the all-time leader in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and set a standard for power-hitting that has been approached but never really exceeded.

Indeed, even though Ruth’s single-season and career records for home runs have been surpassed (by Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds; and by Hank Aaron and Bonds, respectively), no other player has stood so head-and-shoulders above his contemporaries.

And none has inspired the imagination of so many aspiring big leaguers, or the dreams of so many Little Leaguers from all walks of life.

To say the Babe Ruth death continues to impact baseball is an understatement as big as the man’s swing itself.

(Some Babe Ruth facts culled from Wikipedia.)