Rick Ferrell, baseball player, 1929-1947

Rick Ferrell

⭐ Hall of Fame 1984

Born: 10/12/1905 in Durham, NC, USA

Died: 7/27/1995 in Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1929-04-19 | Final Game: 1947-09-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Richard Benjamin Ferrell

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Biography

Rick Ferrell was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1929 to 1947. Born in 1905, Ferrell established himself as a skilled position player during a time when Major League Baseball was evolving, moving beyond the deadball era into an era that would see the rise of star athletes and the integration of the game. Over his 18-year career, he played in 1,884 games, amassing 1,692 hits, 28 home runs, and 734 RBIs, while boasting a commendable batting average of .281. Ferrell was known not only for his offensive capabilities but also for his defensive prowess behind the plate, which contributed significantly to his teams’ successes. Ferrell's accomplishments earned him eight All-Star selections, underscoring his status as one of the premier catchers of his time. After his retirement, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, cementing his legacy in the sport. His career, marked by consistency and excellence, provided a blueprint for future generations of catchers, and he remains a respected figure in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1884 6028 687 1692 324 45 28 734 29 931 277 0.281 0.378 0.363 0.741 6137.9

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .378 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +11.8% above league average.

Career SLG .363 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.741 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1929 SLA AL 64 144 21 33 6 1 0 20 1 32 10 0.229 .289 (-21%) .353 (+5%) .415 (-31%) .769 (-14%) -276.0
1930 SLA AL 101 314 43 84 18 4 1 41 1 46 10 0.268 .293 (-9%) .354 (+2%) .429 (-16%) .784 (-8%) -394.8
1931 SLA AL 117 386 47 118 30 4 3 57 2 56 12 0.306 .276 (+11%) .338 (+16%) .388 (+10%) .726 (+13%) 1135.3
1932 SLA AL 126 438 67 138 30 5 2 65 5 66 18 0.315 .275 (+15%) .335 (+21%) .391 (+7%) .726 (+14%) 1448.4
1933 SLA AL 22 72 8 18 2 0 1 5 2 12 4 0.250 .270 (-7%) .329 (+8%) .377 (-15%) .707 (-4%) -5.3
1933 BOS AL 118 421 50 125 19 4 3 72 2 58 19 0.297 .270 (+10%) .329 (+17%) .377 (+1%) .707 (+8%) -5.3
1934 BOS AL 132 437 50 130 29 4 1 48 0 66 20 0.297 .278 (+7%) .340 (+14%) .392 (-1%) .733 (+6%) 767.1
1935 BOS AL 133 458 54 138 34 4 3 61 5 65 15 0.301 .279 (+8%) .342 (+13%) .399 (+3%) .742 (+8%) 912.3
1936 BOS AL 121 410 59 128 27 5 8 55 0 65 17 0.312 .283 (+10%) .349 (+16%) .404 (+14%) .753 (+15%) 1419.9
1937 BOS AL 18 65 8 20 2 0 1 4 0 15 4 0.308 .276 (+11%) .342 (+28%) .398 (-3%) .740 (+11%) 199.2
1937 WSN AL 86 279 31 64 6 0 1 32 1 50 18 0.229 .276 (-17%) .342 (+2%) .398 (-34%) .740 (-18%) 199.2
1938 WSN AL 135 411 55 120 24 5 1 58 1 75 17 0.292 .272 (+7%) .341 (+17%) .392 (-3%) .734 (+7%) 851.4
1939 WSN AL 87 274 32 77 13 1 0 31 1 41 12 0.281 .274 (+2%) .342 (+10%) .393 (-15%) .735 (-3%) -6.1
1940 WSN AL 103 326 35 89 18 2 0 28 1 47 15 0.273 .267 (+2%) .335 (+9%) .387 (-12%) .722 (-2%) -9.2
1941 WSN AL 21 66 8 18 5 0 0 13 1 15 4 0.273 .262 (+4%) .332 (+23%) .373 (-7%) .705 (+7%) 141.5
1941 SLA AL 100 321 30 81 14 3 2 23 2 52 22 0.252 .262 (-4%) .332 (+7%) .373 (-11%) .705 (-2%) 141.5
1942 SLA AL 99 273 20 61 6 1 0 26 0 33 13 0.223 .253 (-12%) .323 (-5%) .349 (-28%) .672 (-17%) -731.6
1943 SLA AL 74 209 12 50 7 0 0 20 0 34 14 0.239 .255 (-7%) .324 (+7%) .346 (-21%) .671 (-7%) -124.8
1944 WSN AL 99 339 14 94 11 1 0 25 2 46 13 0.277 .261 (+6%) .325 (+12%) .357 (-12%) .683 (-1%) 150.8
1945 WSN AL 91 286 33 76 12 1 1 38 2 43 13 0.266 .260 (+2%) .328 (+11%) .354 (-8%) .683 (+1%) 218.3
1947 WSN AL 37 99 10 30 11 0 0 12 0 14 7 0.303 .262 (+15%) .336 (+16%) .376 (+10%) .712 (+13%) 233.6

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 1806 0 7248 1127 135 139

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1929 SLA C 45 0 140 35 7 3
1930 SLA C 101 0 336 66 7 5
1931 SLA C 108 0 412 86 14 11
1932 SLA C 120 0 486 78 8 9
1933 SLA C 21 0 91 16 1 1
1933 BOS C 116 0 500 76 6 9
1934 BOS C 128 0 531 72 6 7
1935 BOS C 131 0 520 79 13 12
1936 BOS C 121 0 556 55 8 5
1937 BOS C 18 0 93 10 1 1
1937 WS1 C 84 0 341 42 5 5
1938 WS1 C 131 0 512 69 11 15
1939 WS1 C 83 0 327 46 9 9
1940 WS1 C 99 0 427 67 10 5
1941 WS1 C 21 0 85 13 2 1
1941 SLA C 98 0 340 51 2 11
1942 SLA C 95 0 356 57 6 7
1943 SLA C 70 0 327 52 5 7
1944 WS1 C 96 0 403 71 9 8
1945 WS1 C 83 0 331 64 4 3
1947 WS1 C 37 0 134 22 1 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1807

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Guilford College Greensboro NC 1924, 1925, 1926

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1945 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 6.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 8.0 336 0
1933 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 9.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 9.0 80 0