Ferriss began his big league career with a bang winning 21 games in 1945 finishing fourth in the American League MVP balloting (Detroit's Hal Newhouser won the second of his back to back AL MVPs). He probably wouldn't have reached the majors so quickly if not for the Second World War. But Ferriss was even better in 1946 winning 25 games as the Red Sox won their first AL pennant since 1918.
Unfortunately, Ferriss' meteoric rise would come crashing down on a single pitch he made while pitching a shutout against the Cleveland Indians in July 1947 sustaining a shoulder injury. It would to be his final big league shutout. Ferriss only won 11 more big league games after that injury and none after 1948. He threw his final big league pitch in 1950 but remained in the Red Sox minor league system through 1952.
When Ferriss' former teammate Mike "Pinky" Higgins was hired as the Red Sox manager prior to the 1955 season, Higgins tabbed Ferriss to be the team's pitching coach. Ferriss would remain in this capacity through 1959. Wanting to return to his native Mississippi, Ferriss was hired by Delta State University in 1960 and built its baseball program from the ground up. He coached the team for more than a quarter century before retiring in 1988.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame established an award for the best collegiate baseball player from the state and named it the Ferriss Trophy. Current Red Sox pitcher Drew Pomeranz won the honor in 2010 while he pitched for Ole Miss.
Ferriss would have celebrated his 68th wedding anniversary on Monday. Here is Ferriss and his wife Miriam celebrating his 94th birthday in December 2015.
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