Dave Ferriss
Encyclopedia
Dave Meadow Ferriss (born December 5, 1921) is a former pitcher
for the Boston Red Sox
. He was born in Shaw
, Mississippi
, a small town in the Mississippi Delta
. He was given the nickname 'Boo' as the result of a childhood inability to pronounce the word 'brother'.
, and pitched there on the 1941 and 1942 teams. He was drafted by the Red Sox in 1942, but was then called up for military duty during World War II
. After being discharged early from the military
because of asthma
, he was sent to the Red Sox' minor league team in Louisville
, Kentucky
. When the Sox made a slow start, Boo was called up, and made his debut for the Sox on April 29, 1945, pitching a two-hitter. He went on to set the American League
record for scoreless innings to start a career, with 22. The record was broken by Brad Ziegler
of the Oakland Athletics
on July 22, 2008.
He compiled a creditable 21-10 record in his rookie season, and followed it with another excellent season in 1946, going 25-6 on the Sox team that won the American League
pennant
. Ferris started two games for the Sox in the World Series
against the St. Louis Cardinals
, winning one of them, but the Sox lost the series 4-3, Ferris getting a no-decision in the deciding game. His record in 1947 was a more workmanlike 12-11. Arm troubles and asthma restricted him to 9 games started in 31 appearances in 1948; by 1950, his playing career was over.
baseball program. He guided Delta State to a 639-387 record and three appearances in the NCAA
Division II College World Series before retiring in 1988.
He is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
, Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame, and the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. On November 14, 2002, he was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
. Most people simply know him as “Boo.” He is Dave “Boo” Ferriss, Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and legendary coach of the Delta State University Statesmen. Ferriss retired following the completion of the 1988 season, but he continues to be a tireless supporter at all levels of baseball throughout the state and especially his beloved Statesmen.
The Shaw, Miss., native spent 46 years in baseball on the collegiate and professional levels, including 26 seasons at Delta State. A legend in national collegiate baseball coaching circles, Ferriss was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 in Atlanta, Ga. Ferriss compiled a 639-387-8 record, all at Delta State and his coaching record ranks him among all-time national coaching leaders at the NCAA Division II level. His 1988 team was ranked 9th nationally in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
When Ferriss took over the baseball program in 1960 he started it from the ground level. The Statesmen played many of their games off campus and Ferriss coached without the benefit of an assistant. He directed DSU teams to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in eight of his last 12 years, including three trips to the NCAA Division II championships where the Statesmen finished third, second and third respectively in 1977, 1978 and 1982. Gulf South Conference championships came in 1978, 1979, 1985 and 1988, with the Statesmen finishing second in 1981 and third in 1982. Forty-nine of his players earned All-Gulf South Conference honors.
Ferriss also earned several honors for his coaching accomplishments. In 1988, he received the United States Baseball Federation Service Award for his contributions to the game. He has been named NCAA Regional “Coach of the Year” three times while also earning Gulf South Conference coaching honors three times. In 1978 and 1982 he was selected as “College Baseball Coach of the Year” in Mississippi and was runner-up in that category in 1985. His 1985 team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for several weeks in the NCAA Division II poll.
Under his direction, 20 Statesmen players earned All-American honors and 23 continued their baseball careers on the professional level. Twenty former players received Academic All-American honors and forty former players are now coaching in the high school and college ranks.
In addition to his DSU coaching duties, Ferriss also served at various intervals as Athletic Director and Director of the DSU Foundation.
Ferriss, a graduate of Mississippi State, was signed by the Boston Red Sox after his junior year of college, and the lanky right-hander broke into professional baseball with Greensboro (N.C.) of the Piedmont League in 1942.
After military service he joined the Boston Red Sox in 1945 where he spent 10 years in the organization (five years as a pitcher and five years as the pitching coach). He was named “Rookie of the Year” with a 21-10 record, and he defeated each American League team the first time he faced them while winning his first two major league starts with shutouts.
In 1946, Ferriss was the American League’s number one pitcher with a 25-6 record and he pitched the Red Sox to a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1946 World Series. His major league record was 65-30. Ferriss holds several major league records that include the most consecutive home wins of 13 in 1946.
He is a 1989 inductee into the Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Mississippi Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 and to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002.
In the fall of 2003, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced that it would be sponsoring a “Mississippi Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year” and the trophy would be the name and likeness of Dave “Boo” Ferriss. Stephen Head, of the University of Mississippi, became the Ferriss Trophy’s first recipient.
In February 2008, coach Ferriss welcomed back world-famous author John Grisham to Delta State's campus for an athletic fundraiser. Grisham, a Mississippi native, began his career path "thanks to coach Ferriss" after the coaching legend cut Grisham from his team in the fall of 1978. In Grisham's "The Kindest Cut," the author details his time at Delta State and how coach Ferriss handled the difficult task of cutting the would-be outfielder.
Today, coach Ferriss continues to champion the cause of collegiate baseball across Mississippi and the U.S. He is a frequent speaker at civic clubs across the state, and he never misses an opportunity to watch “his” Statesmen play baseball.
. He is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Cleveland.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He was born in Shaw
Shaw, Mississippi
Shaw is a city in Bolivar and Sunflower Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. The named derived from an old Indian tribe northeast of this region. The population was 2,312 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, a small town in the Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
. He was given the nickname 'Boo' as the result of a childhood inability to pronounce the word 'brother'.
College and major league career
Ferriss became the first baseball player to receive a full scholarship to Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
, and pitched there on the 1941 and 1942 teams. He was drafted by the Red Sox in 1942, but was then called up for military duty during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After being discharged early from the military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
because of asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, he was sent to the Red Sox' minor league team in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. When the Sox made a slow start, Boo was called up, and made his debut for the Sox on April 29, 1945, pitching a two-hitter. He went on to set the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record for scoreless innings to start a career, with 22. The record was broken by Brad Ziegler
Brad Ziegler
Brad Gregory Ziegler is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Minor leagues:...
of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
on July 22, 2008.
He compiled a creditable 21-10 record in his rookie season, and followed it with another excellent season in 1946, going 25-6 on the Sox team that won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
. Ferris started two games for the Sox in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, winning one of them, but the Sox lost the series 4-3, Ferris getting a no-decision in the deciding game. His record in 1947 was a more workmanlike 12-11. Arm troubles and asthma restricted him to 9 games started in 31 appearances in 1948; by 1950, his playing career was over.
Coaching career
Ferriss was the pitching coach for the Red Sox between 1955 and 1959 before becoming head coach of the Delta State UniversityDelta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
baseball program. He guided Delta State to a 639-387 record and three appearances in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II College World Series before retiring in 1988.
He is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The hall of fame was established in 1961 and is currently located in a museum that displays the achievements of Mississippi athletes. The museum opened on July 4, 1996...
, Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame, and the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. On November 14, 2002, he was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...
. Most people simply know him as “Boo.” He is Dave “Boo” Ferriss, Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and legendary coach of the Delta State University Statesmen. Ferriss retired following the completion of the 1988 season, but he continues to be a tireless supporter at all levels of baseball throughout the state and especially his beloved Statesmen.
The Shaw, Miss., native spent 46 years in baseball on the collegiate and professional levels, including 26 seasons at Delta State. A legend in national collegiate baseball coaching circles, Ferriss was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 in Atlanta, Ga. Ferriss compiled a 639-387-8 record, all at Delta State and his coaching record ranks him among all-time national coaching leaders at the NCAA Division II level. His 1988 team was ranked 9th nationally in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
When Ferriss took over the baseball program in 1960 he started it from the ground level. The Statesmen played many of their games off campus and Ferriss coached without the benefit of an assistant. He directed DSU teams to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in eight of his last 12 years, including three trips to the NCAA Division II championships where the Statesmen finished third, second and third respectively in 1977, 1978 and 1982. Gulf South Conference championships came in 1978, 1979, 1985 and 1988, with the Statesmen finishing second in 1981 and third in 1982. Forty-nine of his players earned All-Gulf South Conference honors.
Ferriss also earned several honors for his coaching accomplishments. In 1988, he received the United States Baseball Federation Service Award for his contributions to the game. He has been named NCAA Regional “Coach of the Year” three times while also earning Gulf South Conference coaching honors three times. In 1978 and 1982 he was selected as “College Baseball Coach of the Year” in Mississippi and was runner-up in that category in 1985. His 1985 team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for several weeks in the NCAA Division II poll.
Under his direction, 20 Statesmen players earned All-American honors and 23 continued their baseball careers on the professional level. Twenty former players received Academic All-American honors and forty former players are now coaching in the high school and college ranks.
In addition to his DSU coaching duties, Ferriss also served at various intervals as Athletic Director and Director of the DSU Foundation.
Ferriss, a graduate of Mississippi State, was signed by the Boston Red Sox after his junior year of college, and the lanky right-hander broke into professional baseball with Greensboro (N.C.) of the Piedmont League in 1942.
After military service he joined the Boston Red Sox in 1945 where he spent 10 years in the organization (five years as a pitcher and five years as the pitching coach). He was named “Rookie of the Year” with a 21-10 record, and he defeated each American League team the first time he faced them while winning his first two major league starts with shutouts.
In 1946, Ferriss was the American League’s number one pitcher with a 25-6 record and he pitched the Red Sox to a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1946 World Series. His major league record was 65-30. Ferriss holds several major league records that include the most consecutive home wins of 13 in 1946.
He is a 1989 inductee into the Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Mississippi Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 and to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002.
In the fall of 2003, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced that it would be sponsoring a “Mississippi Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year” and the trophy would be the name and likeness of Dave “Boo” Ferriss. Stephen Head, of the University of Mississippi, became the Ferriss Trophy’s first recipient.
In February 2008, coach Ferriss welcomed back world-famous author John Grisham to Delta State's campus for an athletic fundraiser. Grisham, a Mississippi native, began his career path "thanks to coach Ferriss" after the coaching legend cut Grisham from his team in the fall of 1978. In Grisham's "The Kindest Cut," the author details his time at Delta State and how coach Ferriss handled the difficult task of cutting the would-be outfielder.
Today, coach Ferriss continues to champion the cause of collegiate baseball across Mississippi and the U.S. He is a frequent speaker at civic clubs across the state, and he never misses an opportunity to watch “his” Statesmen play baseball.
Personal life
He now resides with his wife in Cleveland, MississippiCleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 census.Cleveland has a fairly large commercial economy, with numerous restaurants, stores, and services along U.S. Highway 61...
. He is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Cleveland.
External links
- Boo Ferriss at