Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1970
- Class:
- 1942
One of the most beloved players and dominant pitchers in Mississippi State baseball history, David M. “Boo” Ferriss lettered for the Bulldogs from 1939 to 1942 before signing to play professionally with the Red Sox.
Ferriss was a stellar pitcher for the Bulldogs under the leadership of head coach Dudy Noble. A Mississippi native, Ferriss was the first player in program history to receive a full scholarship. He was named first-team All-SEC in 1941 and 1942. He was also a member of the men’s basketball team.
Ferriss signed to play with the Boston Red Sox in 1942. He played one minor league season for the team before being called to serve his country in World War II, putting his career on hold. Ferriss returned to the diamond two years later, making his major league debut on April 29, 1945. He had a dominant start to his career, earning wins in his first eight starts and not allowing a single run in 22 consecutive innings. He finished his rookie season with a 21-10 record.
Over six seasons with the Red Sox, Ferriss compiled a 65-30 record with a 3.64 ERA in 880 innings pitched and 296 strikeouts in 144 appearances. Ferriss even led the Sox back to the World Series in 1946 for the first time in 28 years. After dominating the American League, he threw a complete game shutout in Game 3 giving the boys from Boston a 2-1 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Though the team would go on to lose the series, this is one of Ferriss’ most iconic performances.
Following his retirement, Ferriss stayed in the Red Sox clubhouse from 1955-1959 as a pitching coach before returning home to Mississippi. Ferriss accepted a position to become the head baseball coach at Delta State University. In this next chapter, Ferris would garner a reputation as a fixture of college baseball in Mississippi. He served as skipper for the statesman until 1988, amassing 639 wins, four conference championships and three visits to the NCAA DII College World Series.
Ferriss was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1962. He earned a spot in Mississippi State University’s Hall of Fame in 1970 as a member of its first-ever class before being inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988. Ferriss is also a part of the Delta State University Hall of Fame. In 2002, Ferriss’ name was cemented as a baseball great with his induction into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Each year, Ferriss’ dedication to the game is honored in the state of Mississippi with the presentation of the C Spire Ferriss Trophy. This award is presented to the best collegiate baseball player in the state. Mississippi State players have earned this honor nine times since its creation in 2004.
Ferriss continued to live in Cleveland, Mississippi after retiring from Delta State. He was an avid supporter of both Delta State and Mississippi State until his death in 2016.
