Dave Ferriss, baseball player, 1945-1950

Dave Ferriss

Born: 12/5/1921 in Shaw, MS, USA

Died: 11/24/2016 in Cleveland, MS, USA

MLB Debut: 1945-04-29 | Final Game: 1950-04-18

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 208 lbs

Full name: David Meadow Ferriss

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Dave Ferriss was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, who made his mark during the late 1940s. Born in 1921, Ferriss's professional career spanned from 1945 to 1950, during which he played his entire tenure with the Boston Red Sox. Known for his exceptional control and competitive spirit, he finished his career with a remarkable record of 65-30 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.64. Ferriss was also recognized for his ability to strike out batters, accumulating a total of 296 strikeouts, alongside 8 saves, which underscored his versatility on the mound. Ferriss was selected as an All-Star twice, reflecting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. His playing career coincided with a transformative period in baseball, following World War II, when the sport experienced a surge in popularity and talent, particularly with the integration of African American players into the Major Leagues. His contributions to the Red Sox during this time helped solidify his legacy in the franchise's history. Although his career was relatively brief, Ferriss's impact on the game and his impressive performance remain notable in the annals of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
65 30 144 103 67 12 8 880.0 914 356 42 314 296 3.64 0

Career ERA 3.64 vs. league average 3.95 across their career seasons — 7.9% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1945 BOS AL 21 10 35 31 26 5 2 264.7 263 87 85 94 2.96 3.67 (+19%) 2256.3
1946 BOS AL 25 6 40 35 26 6 3 274.0 274 99 71 106 3.25 3.59 (+9%) 2204.4
1947 BOS AL 12 11 33 28 14 1 0 218.3 241 98 92 64 4.04 3.97 (-2%) -1898.0
1948 BOS AL 7 3 31 9 1 0 3 115.3 127 67 61 30 5.23 4.10 (-27%) -2092.0
1949 BOS AL 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 6.7 7 3 4 1 4.05 — 0.0
1950 BOS AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 2 2 1 1 18.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
194 372 44 93 20 4 1 52 0 37 46 0.250 0.318 0.333 0.651 -400.8

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .318 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.

Career SLG .333 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.651 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — 8.5% below 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
1945 BOS AL 61 120 16 32 7 1 1 19 0 19 11 0.267 .260 (+2%) .328 (+12%) .354 (+3%) .683 (+7%) 194.3
1946 BOS AL 45 115 12 24 6 0 0 7 0 5 19 0.209 .256 (-19%) .328 (-27%) .358 (-27%) .687 (-27%) -538.9
1947 BOS AL 52 99 11 27 5 3 0 19 0 7 10 0.273 .262 (+4%) .336 (-5%) .376 (+2%) .712 (-1%) -56.3
1948 BOS AL 31 37 4 9 1 0 0 6 0 6 6 0.243 — — — — 0.0
1949 BOS AL 4 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
1950 BOS AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS BOS 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 2 2 0 13.3 13 3 2 4 2.02

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1946 WS BOS 1 0 2 2 0 13.3 13 3 2 4 2.02

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 144 0 71 164 5 18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1945 BOS P 35 0 22 67 2 10
1946 BOS P 40 0 25 43 1 5
1947 BOS P 33 0 13 33 2 2
1948 BOS P 31 0 10 21 0 1
1949 BOS P 4 0 1 0 0 0
1950 BOS P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 144

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1946 TSN All-Star P
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1945 TSN All-Star P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS 1939, 1940, 1941

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 94.0 336 1
1945 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 148.0 336 2