Ferris Roy Fain (March 29, 1921 – October 18, 2001) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player. He played as a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

from 1947 to 1955. A five-time All-Star, Fain won two American League batting championships and his career

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

of .424 ranks 13th highest in Major League Baseball history. Fain played nine seasons with the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

and

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. Known as one of the Athletics' last stars before moving to Kansas City, he had an explosive temper on and off the field. Eventually it affected his playing ability, and the Athletics traded him after the 1952 season. In his later life, Fain made headlines for his troubles with the law, mainly growing

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

Early life

Ferris Fain was born in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, the son of

Oscar Fain Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

, a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

best known for leading his horse Duval to a second-place finish in the

1912 Kentucky Derby The 1912 Kentucky Derby was the 38th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 11, 1912. Full results *Winning Breeder: R. H. McCarter Potter; (KY) *Horses The Manager and Patruche scratched before the race. Payout * The w ...

, and a domestic maid. He had a "very abusive" childhood, mainly at the hands of the father, who died when he was still a child. His mother did domestic work in order for the family to survive. He grew up in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, where he graduated from Roosevelt High School as student body president. He joined the San Francisco Seals of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

during his senior year of high school, when Seals manager

Lefty O'Doul Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul (March 4, 1897 – December 7, 1969) was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues. He was also a vital figure in the establishmen ...

offered to pay $200 a month "under the table", as Fain's amateur status made him ineligible to join the team. He spent 1939–1942 and 1946 with the Seals, where he led the league in

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBIs) in 1941. He missed three seasons, 1943–45, due to military service, during which he played baseball for the Army.

Career

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

paid the Seals $6,500 for Fain's services in order for Fain to play for the Athletics in 1947. Playing a full schedule, the left-handed hitter had 461 at bats in his

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

season. That year, he batted .291 with seven

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 71 RBIs in 136 games. In the 1948 season, Fain played in 145 games, with an .288 batting average, seven home runs, and what would be a career high 88 runs batted in. Fain was a member of the 1949 Philadelphia Athletics team that set a major league team record by turning 217

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

s, a record which still stood as of 2016; Fain himself took part in 194 double plays as a first baseman. In 1950 Fain played in a career high 150 games, batting .282 with 10 home runs and 83 RBI as he was named to his first All-Star team. Fain broke through during the 1951 season, leading the American League with a .344 batting average. He also hit six homers and 57 RBIs, although a broken foot limited him to 425 at-bats. That year he finished sixth in the

Most Valuable Player Award In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

voting as

Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but ...

won the award. During the 1952 season, Fain again led the American League with a .324 batting average, despite breaking his hand in a bar fight and hiding the injury from his manager Jimmie Dykes near the end of the season. He also led the league in doubles (43), and

and third in hits as he finished sixth in the Most Valuable Player award behind winner and A's teammate

Bobby Shantz Robert Clayton Shantz (born September 26, 1925) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through , and won the 1952 American League Most Valuable Player Award as a ...

. However, Fain was known for a hot temper in the field, along with a drinking problem, which caused tension with the team. After the 1952 season, the Athletics traded Fain to the Chicago White Sox for fellow first baseman Eddie Robinson and infielders

Ed McGhee Warren Edward McGhee (September 29, 1924 – February 13, 1986) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1950 to 1956 for the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics. He was an alumnus ...

and

Joe DeMaestri Joseph Paul DeMaestri (December 9, 1928 – August 26, 2016), nicknamed "Froggy", was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox (1951), St. Louis Browns (1952), Philadelphia / Kansas City Athletics (1953� ...

. After the trade, White Sox general manager

Frank Lane Frank Charles Meyers LaneCorbett, Warren: ''Frank Lane,''

...

proclaimed with his acquisition of Fain, the White Sox had the "finest defensive infield in baseball". The

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

were also interested in Fain, but a deal couldn't get completed. According to former teammate

Eddie Joost Edwin David Joost (June 5, 1916April 12, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for all or portions of 17 seasons between 1936 and 1955. In , Joost became the third and l ...

, Fain "had a lifestyle of his own and would do exactly what he wanted to do. There were many things the players didn't like about him. Occasionally he'd overdrink and wouldn't be attentive on the field." Fain had an off-year in 1953 after getting into a brawl in a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

café with several White Sox fans. He was fined $600 by the White Sox, then sued for $50,000. In the 1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Fain scored the only run for the American League in the ninth inning of a 5-1 loss. After suffering a knee injury the following year, Fain never really got back on track. But on June 16, 1954, he hit an inside-the-park grand slam. He participated in his last

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

as a starter alongside his White Sox infield teammates

Nellie Fox Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (M ...

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943–1946), Detroit Tigers (1947–1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954), Chicago Whi ...

and Chico Carrasquel. It made the 1954 White Sox the first team ever to have four infield starters from the same team starting the All-Star Game. In 1955, he played for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. He batted .260 with two home runs and 31 RBIs; however he was hobbled by knee issues and retired after the season. Fain finished with an

of over .400 every full year that he played, and was in the top 10 in that category seven times in his career; he ranked in the top 10 in walks eight times. In a nine-season career, he hit .290 with 48 home runs, 570 RBIs, and 1139 career hits in 3930 at bats. He also had 213 career doubles and a career .424 on-base percentage (13th best all-time). Not least of all, Fain was regarded by some as the best fielding first baseman in the majors until

Vic Power Victor Felipe Pellot (November 1, 1927November 29, 2005), also known professionally as Vic Power, was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican professional baseball first baseman. He played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athl ...

assumed Fain's old position for the A's. Future

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Joe Gordon Joseph Lowell Gordon (February 18, 1915 – April 14, 1978), nicknamed "Flash" in reference to the comic-book character ''Flash Gordon'', was an American second baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yank ...

stated that Fain was the greatest fielding first baseman he ever saw.

Later life

Fain became a custom home builder in

Georgetown, California Georgetown (formerly Growlersburg) is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California. It is the northeasternmost town in the California Mother Lode. The population was 2,367 at the 2010 census, up from 962 in 2000. The town is reg ...

, in the 1970s. In 1985 the

Placerville, California Placerville (, ; formerly Old Dry Diggings, Dry Diggings, and Hangtown) is a city in and the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,747 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,389 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sa ...

police department raided his home where they found several

plants in his possession. He was charged with growing marijuana and sentenced to five years probation. In 1988, the police conducted another raid at his home, where he was found growing another 400 plants of marijuana in a barn used as a

grow house A grow house is a property, usually located in a suburban residential neighbourhood, that is primarily used for the black market production of marijuana, it may be used for the cultivation of other drugs such as psilocybin mushrooms. The house ...

. Fain was charged with possession to sale marijuana and was held without bail. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. In a 1994 interview with ''

The Sacramento Bee ''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...

'', Fain discussed his legal issues, stating that he "knew how to grow the stuff. I was as adept at it as I was in playing baseball", and that he was trying to make a living out of it. He led a mostly reclusive lifestyle with his second wife in his final years, with only the occasional interview. Fain died October 18, 2001 at the age of 80, in Georgetown, California from complications from

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

and

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

References

External links

Ferris Fain
at SABR (Baseball BioProject) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fain, Ferris 1921 births 2001 deaths American League All-Stars American League batting champions American people convicted of drug offenses American sportspeople convicted of crimes Baseball players from San Antonio Chicago White Sox players Cleveland Indians players Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from diabetes Deaths from leukemia Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball first basemen Philadelphia Athletics players Prisoners and detainees of California United States Army personnel of World War II

Early life

Career

Later life

See also

References

External links