George Ferran

George Paul Ferran

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• High School Granada Hills High School

• Born August 27, 1964 in Walpole, MA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher George Ferran was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 23rd round of the 1983 amateur draft. He debuted that year with the Great Falls Giants, going 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 7 outings. He spent the next season with the Clinton Giants, posting a 5-10 record for the team, which finished last in the Midwest League's Central Division. Ferran had five saves and a 2.58 ERA in 41 outings. Had he qualified, he would have been fifth in the MWL in ERA.

George became a starter in the 1985 season and went 8-9 with one save and a 3.43 ERA for the San Jose Bees. He was 8th in the California League in ERA and his 10 complete games were three behind teammate, staff ace and league leader Yasuo Kushihara. He was voted by the California league managers as having the best curveball in the circuit. He finished the year with the Shreveport Captains, going 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA in six starts in AA. Returning to Shreveport in 1986, Ferran had a career high with a 16-1 record, 4 saves and a 2.29 ERA in 9 starts and 37 relief appearances. His .941 winning percentage was the highest in Organized Baseball in 1986. The mustachioed man led the Texas League in ERA, .37 ahead of runner-up John Burkett. He struck out 147, 22 more than runner-up Jeff Brantley (both Burkett and Brantley were teammates on the regular season champion Shreveport squad. They both went on to have successful Major League careers.). Ferran, Burkett and Brantley were all placed on the 1987 SF Giants 40-man roster. Ferran also led the league in wins to lock up the pitching Triple Crown which had only been achieved once before in Texas League history, by Sid Fernandez in 1983. Ferran won Texas League pitcher of the year honors that season, as well as the TOPPS Minor League Player of the Year and the Texas League "Star of Stars" award given out by a news agency. In his final year he spent a short time on the disabled list but completed the 1987 season with nagging shoulder problems, he was 4-5 with one save and a 4.19 ERA in 40 games (1 start) with the Phoenix Firebirds (San Francisco Giants AAA affiliate) for a career minor league record of 37-28 (.569 winning percentage). He retired in 1988 afer undergoing unsuccessful shoulder surgery performed by the emininent Dr. Frank Jobe, who two years later was able to prolong Orel Hershiser's career with similar surgery, the first success for this surgery on a Major Leaguer. Ferran was elected to the Texas League Hall of Fame in 2008. His career record in the Texas League is 20-2.

Notable Achievements

• 1986 Pitcher of the Year Texas League Shreveport Captains