THE NEBRASKA 100

Mel Harder threw the first pitch in the first game ever played at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium in 1932 and threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the last game played there in 1994. In between, he carved out a legacy second only to Bob Feller among pitchers in Indians franchise history.

Born in Beemer, Harder grew up in Omaha and went to Omaha Tech, and reached the majors at 18 in 1928. Only Feller had more than the 223 victories Harder compiled in an Indians uniform.

Harder was at his best in his four All-Star Games, from 1934 through 1937, picking up one win and two saves and pitching 13 scoreless innings against the best of the National League. He is the only pitcher to work more than 10 scoreless innings in AllStar competition.

After back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1934 and 1935, he was bothered by shoulder and elbow injuries for much of the rest of his playing career, but he still won another 126 games while pitching through 1947.

"That ought to be good for at least five points on my batting average," Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio said when Harder retired. "I never could hit that fella."

Omaha youngsters played in the Mel Harder League beginning in 1955. He was one of baseball's first pitching coaches and stayed with Cleveland in that role through 12 managers to give him 36 years in the Indians organization before leaving in 1964. His coaching career ended with Kansas City in 1969.

The closest he came to reaching the Hall of Fame was in 1964, when he got 51 of the 151 votes necessary. "He was a great sinkerball pitcher, a good curveball pitcher, and he had good control," Feller said.

-- Rob White