Hobe Ferris

Who was Hobe Ferris?

Albert Sayles "Hobe" Ferris, was a Major League second baseman during the 1900s. He holds the record for the lowest on base percentage of any player in Major League Baseball history with over 5000 plate appearances, recording an OBP of just .265. Despite this, his career slugging percentage is actually higher than the league average of the period.

Although he grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and was long thought to have been born there, census records indicate that he was born somewhere in England and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1879.

He was a shortstop in the minor leagues from 1898 to 1900, after which he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. He chose to jump to the newly formed American League instead, and signed with the Boston Americans. As the team had already signed a shortstop in Freddy Parent, Ferris moved to second base. He made his Major League debut on April 26, 1901.

He committed 61 errors as a rookie for Boston in 1901. This did not lead the league — Kid Gleason of Detroit made 64 errors — but it remains to this day the second-highest total ever for a second baseman in the American League. He did hit .250 with 15 triples and 63 RBI, however. The following season, he cut his error total to 39 and began to acquire a reputation as a stellar fielder with outstanding range. He was also one of the league's feistiest players, being suspended in 1902 for an altercation with umpire Jack Sheridan. On September 11, 1906, he got into a nasty fight with teammate Jack Hayden, whom he accused of lackadaisical play. Ferris kicked Hayden in the face. Both were ejected from the game, and Ferris was suspended for the remainder of the season. This was the first time that teammates had been ejected for fighting each other.