Bob Feller Act of Valor Award

The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, created in 2013, is a set of awards originally presented annually to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a current Major League Baseball player, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer.

[3] The award is named for Bob Feller, who put his baseball career on hold and became the first American professional athlete to enlist in the armed forces, volunteering for combat service in the United States Navy the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[7] Despite losing almost four full seasons to wartime service, Feller had an impressive baseball career and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

[10] In 2013, its inaugural year, three awards were given to represent Bob Feller's life as an MLB player, a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, and a National Baseball Hall of Famer.

The award also recognized 37 Hall of Fame players, owners, umpires, and broadcasters that served during World War II.

The announcement of the award took place at the Hall of Fame ceremony on May 25, followed by a presentation to the finalists on July 6, and a selection of the winners on Veterans Day.

Coleman was also a longtime broadcaster for the San Diego Padres and was honored with the Ford C. Frick Award, presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.