Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 11: Rick Ferrell

RICK FERRELL
Years with Boston: 1933-1937 (.302/.394/.410, 16 home runs, 240 RBIs)
Best Year in Boston: 1936 (.312/.406/.461, 8 home runs, 55 RBIs, 65 walks, 17 strikeouts)

Rick Ferrell is one of the more controversial selections for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was not a bad hitter for a catcher, in fact he was probably one of the better contact-hitting catchers of the time.  But he was not all that special either.  It is more likely that he was a great defensive catcher, but his statistics do not really show that much either.  Ferrell's career numbers reflect a .281/.378/.363 line, which is decent, other than the slugging percentage, for a catcher.

Ferrell's numbers with Boston though are fairly impressive.  His .302/.394/.410 line is strong for a catcher, though a lot of this could be attributed to playing in a hitters' park.  Ferrell was one of the early stars that Tom Yawkey picked up upon buying the franchise and trying to turn it around.  He was the first of four eventual Hall of Famers Yawkey acquired.  Ferrell made an immediate impact on the team with his contact-hitting ability and high on-base percentages.  He also rarely struck out.  The most Ferrell struck out in any one season was 23.  He typically walked three times more often than he struck out.  Ferrell was an All Star three times with the Red Sox.  He led the league in 1935 with a 59% caught stealing percentage and typically was high among the league leaders.

Ferrell was a decent catcher for his time period, but his selection to the Hall of Fame is controversial.  His seasons in Boston definitely increase his career numbers to more tolerable levels, but despite his often high on-base percentages, Ferrell had very little power.  His career high in home runs was just eight.  Ferrell is wearing a Red Sox cap on his plaque in Cooperstown.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt 17: Wes Ferrell

The Hall of Fame has inducted many players who were borderline choices, and many players who deserve induction have been on the outside looking in. I want to look at some players to determine if they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Wes Ferrell, like Carl Mays, is a player whose name comes up every year when the Veterans' Committee when they vote on the Old Timers ballot.  Ferrell's brother Rick is in the Hall of Fame as a catcher for the Red Sox.  The brothers actually played together with the Red Sox and Senators.

Ferrell was a workhorse who lead the American League in games started twice, and complete games and innings pitched three years in a row.  Ferrell won 20 games in six seasons and won 170 games in the 1930's, fourth behind Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, and Red Ruffing.  Ferrell though typically pitched for mediocre teams, spending his most productive years with the Browns, Red Sox, and Senators.

The major argument against Ferrell is his ERA.  His career ERA was 4.04, which is similar to the argument against Jack Morris, whose career ERA was 3.90.  Ferrell's ERA+ though is 116 so relatively speaking, it was not that bad of a number.  Still most voters these days seem to have some difficulty with context, in particular those on the Veterans' Committee.

THE VERDICT
Ferrell is probably a pretty borderline candidate, but his numbers seem to warrant more consideration.