In 1947, after 18 major league seasons with the Browns, Senators, and Red Sox, Rick Ferrell retired as the longest playing catcher in the American League. His record 1,806 games would stand for more than 40 years, surpassed finally by another Hall of Famer, Carlton Fisk. A stout defender and choosy batter, Ferrell was an eight-time All-Star who caught a rotation of four knuckleball pitchers for the 1945 Washington Senators team that lost the American League pennant in the final week of the season. Perhaps that's one of the reasons he went on to work for the Detroit Tigers for 43 years, serving as coach, scout, and front-office executive. This biography includes highlights of Ferrell's career, letters written as Detroit's general manager, 15 interviews with Ferrell's friends and peers, as well as thirty-four photographs, some never before published.
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für Beruf und Forschung
Interest Age: From 18 years
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
37 photos, statistics, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Dicke: 18 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-7864-4796-1 (9780786447961)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Kerrie Ferrell, daughter of Rick Ferrell, grew up in a family of professional baseball players. After realizing she would not become the first female big leaguer, she became an English instructor and writer. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Baseball historian William M. Anderson has authored several books on baseball and lives in Ludington, Michigan.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Foreword by Donald Honig
Part I: Behind the Plate
1. 1905-1928: Early Life in North Carolina and the Minors
2. 1929-1932: Rookie Years with the St. Louis Browns
3. 1933-1934: The Red Sox, First All-Star Game, and Wes
4. 1935-1937: Beantown's Brother Battery
5. 1937-1941: Ferrells Traded to Washington Senators
6. 1941-1943: Back to St. Louis as World War II Heats Up
7. 1944-1945: Catching Four Knuckleballers
8. 1946-1949: From Catcher to Coach
Part II: Front Office
9. 1950-1958: The Detroit Tigers' Coach and Scout
10. 1959 -1965: The Tigers' Front Office/General Manager
11. 1966 -1973: The Winning Years
12. 1974 -1983: Rebuilding with Ralph Houk and Sparky Anderson
13. 1984 -1992: The 1984 World Series, Baseball Hall of Fame, and Changing Times
14. 1993 -1995: Farewell and Epilogue
Appendix A. Hall of Fame Memberships
Appendix B. Career Statistics
Appendix C. 1929-1947: Catching Highlights
Appendix D. 1950-1992: Executive Highlights
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
