Rick Ferrell
Catcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1929-1947)
Rick Ferrell was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1947 for the St. Louis Browns, the Boston Red Sox, and the Washington Senators, a span of 19 seasons. In 1,884 career games, he hit .281 with 1,692 hits, 28 home runs, and 734 RBI. Rick Ferrell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 and was a 8-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 6,474.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- Died
- 7/27/1995 in Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1929-04-19
- Last Game
- 1947-09-14
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1984 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 8× All-Star
Full name: Richard Benjamin Ferrell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,884 | 6,028 | 687 | 1,692 | 324 | 45 | 28 | 734 | 29 | 931 | 277 | .281 | .378 | .363 | .741 | 6,474 |
Career AVG .281 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .378 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +11.8% above league average.
Career SLG .363 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career OPS .741 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | SLA | AL | 64 | 144 | 21 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 10 | .229 | .289 (-21%) | .353 (+5%) | .415 (-31%) | .769 (-14%) | -245.4 |
| 1930 | SLA | AL | 101 | 314 | 43 | 84 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 46 | 10 | .268 | .293 (-9%) | .354 (+2%) | .429 (-16%) | .784 (-8%) | -329.9 |
| 1931 | SLA | AL | 117 | 386 | 47 | 118 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 57 | 2 | 56 | 12 | .306 | .276 (+11%) | .338 (+16%) | .388 (+10%) | .726 (+13%) | 1135.3 |
| 1932 | SLA | AL | 126 | 438 | 67 | 138 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 65 | 5 | 66 | 18 | .315 | .275 (+15%) | .335 (+21%) | .391 (+7%) | .726 (+14%) | 1448.4 |
| 1933 | SLA | AL | 22 | 72 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 4 | .250 | .270 (-7%) | .329 (+8%) | .377 (-15%) | .707 (-4%) | -5.1 |
| 1933 | BOS | AL | 118 | 421 | 50 | 125 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 72 | 2 | 58 | 19 | .297 | .270 (+10%) | .329 (+17%) | .377 (+1%) | .707 (+8%) | -5.1 |
| 1934 | BOS | AL | 132 | 437 | 50 | 130 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 66 | 20 | .297 | .278 (+7%) | .340 (+14%) | .392 (-1%) | .733 (+6%) | 767.1 |
| 1935 | BOS | AL | 133 | 458 | 54 | 138 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 61 | 5 | 65 | 15 | .301 | .279 (+8%) | .342 (+13%) | .399 (+3%) | .742 (+8%) | 912.3 |
| 1936 | BOS | AL | 121 | 410 | 59 | 128 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 55 | 0 | 65 | 17 | .312 | .283 (+10%) | .349 (+16%) | .404 (+14%) | .753 (+15%) | 1419.9 |
| 1937 | BOS | AL | 18 | 65 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 4 | .308 | .276 (+11%) | .342 (+28%) | .398 (-3%) | .740 (+11%) | 199.2 |
| 1937 | WS1 | AL | 86 | 279 | 31 | 64 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 50 | 18 | .229 | .276 (-17%) | .342 (+2%) | .398 (-34%) | .740 (-18%) | 199.2 |
| 1938 | WS1 | AL | 135 | 411 | 55 | 120 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 58 | 1 | 75 | 17 | .292 | .272 (+7%) | .341 (+17%) | .392 (-3%) | .734 (+7%) | 851.4 |
| 1939 | WS1 | AL | 87 | 274 | 32 | 77 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 41 | 12 | .281 | .274 (+2%) | .342 (+10%) | .393 (-15%) | .735 (-3%) | -5.2 |
| 1940 | WS1 | AL | 103 | 326 | 35 | 89 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 47 | 15 | .273 | .267 (+2%) | .335 (+9%) | .387 (-12%) | .722 (-2%) | -7.6 |
| 1941 | WS1 | AL | 21 | 66 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 4 | .273 | .262 (+4%) | .332 (+23%) | .373 (-7%) | .705 (+7%) | 141.5 |
| 1941 | SLA | AL | 100 | 321 | 30 | 81 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 52 | 22 | .252 | .262 (-4%) | .332 (+7%) | .373 (-11%) | .705 (-2%) | 141.5 |
| 1942 | SLA | AL | 99 | 273 | 20 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 33 | 13 | .223 | .253 (-12%) | .323 (-5%) | .349 (-28%) | .672 (-17%) | -613.3 |
| 1943 | SLA | AL | 74 | 209 | 12 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 34 | 14 | .239 | .255 (-7%) | .324 (+7%) | .346 (-21%) | .671 (-7%) | -109.1 |
| 1944 | WS1 | AL | 99 | 339 | 14 | 94 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 46 | 13 | .277 | .261 (+6%) | .325 (+12%) | .357 (-12%) | .683 (-1%) | 150.8 |
| 1945 | WS1 | AL | 91 | 286 | 33 | 76 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 2 | 43 | 13 | .266 | .260 (+2%) | .328 (+11%) | .354 (-8%) | .683 (+1%) | 218.3 |
| 1947 | WS1 | AL | 37 | 99 | 10 | 30 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 7 | .303 | .262 (+15%) | .336 (+16%) | .376 (+10%) | .712 (+13%) | 233.6 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 1,884 | 6,028 | 687 | 1,692 | 324 | 45 | 28 | 734 | 29 | 931 | 277 | .281 | — | — | — | — | 6,498 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1884 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 945 | 2947 | 332 | 839 | 13 | 403 | .285 |
| Away | 939 | 3078 | 352 | 854 | 15 | 333 | .277 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-14 | MIN | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-09-09 | MIN | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-04 | MIN | NYY | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | MIN | PHA | W | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-31 | MIN | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-24 | MIN | SLA | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-08-22 | MIN | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-08-22 | MIN | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-19 | MIN | CLE | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-17 | MIN | PHA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1806 | 0 | 7248 | 1127 | 135 | 139 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | SLA | C | 45 | 0 | 140 | 35 | 7 | 3 |
| 1930 | SLA | C | 101 | 0 | 336 | 66 | 7 | 5 |
| 1931 | SLA | C | 108 | 0 | 412 | 86 | 14 | 11 |
| 1932 | SLA | C | 120 | 0 | 486 | 78 | 8 | 9 |
| 1933 | SLA | C | 21 | 0 | 91 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1933 | BOS | C | 116 | 0 | 500 | 76 | 6 | 9 |
| 1934 | BOS | C | 128 | 0 | 531 | 72 | 6 | 7 |
| 1935 | BOS | C | 131 | 0 | 520 | 79 | 13 | 12 |
| 1936 | BOS | C | 121 | 0 | 556 | 55 | 8 | 5 |
| 1937 | BOS | C | 18 | 0 | 93 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1937 | WS1 | C | 84 | 0 | 341 | 42 | 5 | 5 |
| 1938 | WS1 | C | 131 | 0 | 512 | 69 | 11 | 15 |
| 1939 | WS1 | C | 83 | 0 | 327 | 46 | 9 | 9 |
| 1940 | WS1 | C | 99 | 0 | 427 | 67 | 10 | 5 |
| 1941 | WS1 | C | 21 | 0 | 85 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| 1941 | SLA | C | 98 | 0 | 340 | 51 | 2 | 11 |
| 1942 | SLA | C | 95 | 0 | 356 | 57 | 6 | 7 |
| 1943 | SLA | C | 70 | 0 | 327 | 52 | 5 | 7 |
| 1944 | WS1 | C | 96 | 0 | 403 | 71 | 9 | 8 |
| 1945 | WS1 | C | 83 | 0 | 331 | 64 | 4 | 3 |
| 1947 | WS1 | C | 37 | 0 | 134 | 22 | 1 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1807 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford College | Greensboro | NC | 1924, 1925, 1926 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1933 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 9.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1932 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 13th | 9.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rick Ferrell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Rick Ferrell
Rick Ferrell: the record in brief
Rick Ferrell played a first major league game on April 19, 1929 and a last one on September 14, 1947. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Browns (1929 to 1943), the Boston Red Sox (1933 through 1937), and the Washington Senators (1937 through 1947). Ferrell, born on October 12, 1905, in Durham, NC, USA, is listed as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5 feet, 10 inches and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on July 27, 1995, in Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA. Rick Ferrell was the playing name; the full given name is Richard Benjamin.
Ferrell's career batting table shows 1,884 games, 6,028 at bats and 1,692 hits, a .281 average, plus 28 home runs, 734 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. Ferrell got on base at a .378 rate and slugged .363 (.741 OPS). Against a .272 league average for those years, Ferrell's .281 average was near the norm. No season topped the 138 hits of 1932.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rick Ferrell
- What years did Rick Ferrell play?
- Rick Ferrell played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1947.
- Was Rick Ferrell a pitcher?
- No. Rick Ferrell was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Rick Ferrell hit?
- Rick Ferrell hit 28 career home runs with 1692 hits.
- Is Rick Ferrell in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Rick Ferrell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
- What was Rick Ferrell's career batting average?
- Rick Ferrell batted .281 over his career, with 1,692 hits in 6,028 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rick Ferrell have?
- Rick Ferrell drove in 734 runs in his career.