Ferris Fain
Fiery Ferris Fain is probably the most anonymous two-time batting champion in baseball history. He won the 1951 and 1952 crowns, the only times he over hit over .300 for a full season, despite suffering setbacks due to his famous temper. In 1951 he barely had enough plate appearances to qualify for the title, missing time due to a broken foot he suffered when he kicked first base after grounding out. The next season he was involved in a bar fight with White Sox fans in Chicago and broke his hand, but hung on for the last five weeks of the campaign to defeat Dale Mitchell for the title. Those sort of tantrums earned him the names "Burrhead" and "Cocky."
Played For
Philadelphia Athletics (1947-1952)
Chicago White Sox (1953-1954)
Detroit Tigers (1955)
Cleveland Indians (1955)
Minor League Experience
Fain was born in San Antonio, Texas, but grew up in Oakland during the Depression in a poor community. He overcame those obstacles to star for the San Francisco Seals, with whom he was paid handsomely. He turned down several contracts in the big leagues because he was earning more money in the Pacific Coast League. After playing ball with Joe DiMaggio and other stars on World War II service teams, he finally penned a contract with Connie Mack's A's for a signing bonus of $6,000. Once in the American League, he drew raves for his defensive play, Yankees' second baseman Joe Gordon calling him "the best first baseman I ever saw." He set the record for most double plays by a first baseman and paced the AL in assists four times.
Best Season: 1952
Led the American League in batting (.327), OBP (.438), doubles (43) and times reached base. He was also the best defensive first baseman in the league, walked 105 times and struck out only 26.
The Sandlot Bat
In a slump late in the 1948 season, Fain found an unlikely weapon to break out of his funk. Stumbling upon a sandlot game in Washington D.C. prior to a contest against the Senators, Fain found an abandoned bat. He took it with him to Griffith Stadium that day, and after going hitless in the first game of a doubleheader, he used it in the second game. He rapped out three hits with the sandlot bat, which was a full-inch longer than his normal mopdel, but of lesser grade wood. "I hope it doesn't break," Fain told Art Morrow of The Philadelphia Inquirer, "if that ever happened, just think, I'd have to scour every sandlot in Washington and Philadelphia looking for another one just like it."
Description
Fain was the antithesis of the first basemen of his era, he had little power, but was a very patient hitter, drawing at least 100 walks five times, and earning 904 free passes in nine seasons, while striking out just 261 times. After his playing career he popped back up into the headlines in 1985 and 1988, when he was arrested in the Sierra foothills for growing several hundred marijuana plants. The second time he was arrested, authorities estimated his drugs to have a value of more than $1 million.
Where He Played
Some people think playing first base is easy, just catch the ball and that's it. It's not. Some first basemen are monoliths with the range of a boulder (see Mark McGwire), others have terrible hands (see Dick Stuart), and still others have a poor arm (Steve Garvey anyone?)
A good defensive first basemen takes some of the pressure off the infield, and he can also use his range to get to balls that may normally result in hits. Fain was that type of first baseman. He may not have been as great as Keith Hernandez or J.T. Snow, but he was very good, and he had excellent range. There are dozens of stories of Fain ranging to the third base side of the infield to field bunts, something few first basemen had ever done before.
In 1949, Fain set a major league record record with 194 double plays at first, and the next year he had 192. He paced the AL in putouts once, assists four times and double plays twice. He also led the loop in errors at first base four times. But many of those miscues came on balls he ranged far to get that no other first sacker had ever dared to try for.
When the esteemed Vic Power succeeded Fain as the A's first baseman in 1954, he began to draw attention for his flashy glove. Fain and Power were the best defensive first basemen of their time, and helped usher in an era of defensive wizards at the first dish.
However, there were times when Fain tried to do too much defensively, drawing the wrath of manager Connie Mack. Once, after Fain tossed the ball into the stands twice in one week after trying to nab runners going from second to third on bunts, the 84-year old Mack gave his young first sacker a gentle suggestion.
"Perhaps you should just pick up the ball and hold it," the veteran manager said.
The excitable Fain was outraged.
"What the hell do you want me to do with the ball, stick it up my ass?"
"Ferris, you have to admit," Mack replied, "it would be safer there."
Born
Ferris Roy Fain was born on May 29, 1921, in San Antonio, TX.
Died
October 18, 2001, ,
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: 1B
Primary Team: PHA
Major League Debut
April 15, 1947
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1947
Nellie Fox
Duke Snider
Larry Doby
Jackie Robinson
Curt Simmons
Mel Parnell
Vic Wertz
Ted Kluszewski
Ferris Fain
Nicknames
Burrhead, Cocky
Similar Players
Earl Sheely, Pat Tabler, Mike Hargrove
Notes
Was named The Sporting News Player of the Year for 1951... Fain looks like he was a slow player based on his stats, but he wasn't, it's just that nobody stole many bases in the 1950s. He finished in the top ten in steals twice, and on June 16, 1954, he used that speed in one of baseball's most exciting plays: he hit an inside-the-park grand slam against his former team, the A's.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Fain broke his foot on July 15, 1951, when he kicked the bag after being thrown out on a grounder. He missed five weeks but still won the batting title... On August 2, 1949, Fain had surfgery to remove hemorhoids. He missed a week, after having played in each of the first 99 games of the season.
Hitting Streaks
24 games (1952)
Transactions
Fain was traded to the White Sox in January 1953 for Earl Robinson and a few others... In December of 1954, Fain was acquired by Detroit in a deal for Walt Dropo and others.
All-Star Selections
1950 AL
1951 AL
1952 AL
1953 AL
1954 AL
Replaced
Veteran first baseman George McQuinn, whose only season with the A's was 1946.
Replaced By
Walt Dropo became the ChiSox first baseman in 1955, but Fain had barely been a regular in 1954, sharing time with Phil Cavarretta.
Best Strength as a Player
Getting on base: his .424 lifetime OBP ranks in the top twenty all-time.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Power
Learn More about Ferris Fain
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