James Alexander Ferguson (February 16, 1897 – April 26, 1976) was a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

who played for five different teams between 1918 and 1929. Listed at , 180 lb., Ferguson batted and threw right-handed. Born in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

, Ferguson was raised in nearby Bloomfield.Lamb, Bill
"Alex Ferguson"

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...

. Accessed September 11, 2019. He died in

Sepulveda, California North Hills, known previously as Sepulveda, is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. North Hills was originally part of an agricultural community known as Mission Acres. After World War II, the newly dev ...

, at age 79.

Professional career

Ferguson was one of the first

forkball The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-finger fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard, snapping the wrist. Due to its movement being similar to that of a spitball, the pitch is oft ...

specialists in major league history. He entered the majors in 1918 with 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) Am ...

, playing for them two years (1918, 1921) before joining the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

(1922–1925), Washington Senators (1925–1926), again the Yankees (1925), and with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

(1927–1929) and

Brooklyn Robins The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brookl ...

(1925). He enjoyed his highest win season in 1924 with the seventh-place Red Sox, when he won 14 games while losing an

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

-high 17. In 1925 he divided his playing time with Boston, New York and Washington, ending with a 5–1 mark and a 3.25

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

in seven games for the Senators AL champion team. During the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

, he pitched well against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, going 1–1 with a 3.21 ERA in two starts. In a 10-season career, Ferguson posted a 61–85 record with 397

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s and a 4.89 ERA in 257 appearances, including 166 starts, 62

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s, two

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

s, 10 saves, and

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). In cricket and rounders, "innings" is ...

of work. In 1926 Ferguson set a major league record for the highest ERA during a regular season by a pitcher who started a postseason game the same year. Ferguson collected a combined 6.18 ERA while pitching with the Red Sox, Yankees and Senators. The mark was broken in 2006 by

Óliver Pérez Óliver Pérez Martínez (born August 15, 1981) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamond ...

of the

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

, who posted a 6.55 ERA during the regular season before starting Game 4 of the NL Championship Series. File:Alex Ferguson (baseball) 2.jpg, Alex Ferguson, 1925

References

External links

Baseballistic Wordpress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Alex Boston Red Sox players Brooklyn Robins players New York Yankees players Philadelphia Phillies players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players 20th-century American sportsmen Major League Baseball pitchers 1897 births 1976 deaths Bridgeport Americans players Toledo Mud Hens players Jersey City Skeeters players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Wilkes-Barre Barons (baseball) players York White Roses players Durham Bulls players Wilmington Pirates players Sportspeople from Bloomfield, New Jersey Sportspeople from Montclair, New Jersey Baseball players from Essex County, New Jersey