Mike Ferry had been looking forward to this all year long, he told The Tuscaloosa News in 1990.This was the draft, and Ferry had just been taken in the fourth round, out of Auburn University.
"I was hoping to have a better season so I'd get drafted higher," Ferry told The News. "But I was satisfied with the offer and I'm ready to go and do as well as I can for the Reds right now."
What Ferry did for the Reds was play six seasons. All six seasons, though, were spent in the minors, Ferry never making Cincinnati or any other big league club.
Ferry's pro career began that year, taken by the Reds out of Auburn. He went to Auburn out of Central High School in Tuscaloosa.
At Auburn, Ferry returned to Tuscaloosa in 1988, as a member of the visiting Tigers. He told The News before that series he was looking forward to his return. He was also filling in for the team's closer.
"When you're relieving, you have a different mentality from when you're starting," Ferry told The News. "You usually only come in when it's a tight situation or a blowout. When it's tight, you have to be ready to go all the time."
In April 1990, Ferry picked up a win for Auburn as a starter, pitching a four-hit shutout.
With the Reds, Ferry started at rookie Billings, serving there as a reliever. In 27 outings, Ferry posted a 2.84 ERA. He split 1991 between single-A Cedar Rapids and Charleston, getting 38 outings between them, with an ERA that hit 5.27.
Ferry returned to Cedar Rapids again in 199. He also turned starter. In 25 starts, Ferry went 13-4, with a 2.71 ERA. He also made his way to the Reds' 40-man winter roster.
Ferry made AA Chattanooga for 1993, going 13-8 over 28 starts. In 1994, Ferry got his first look at AAA, with seven games at Indianapolis.
In 1995, he got his second and last look at AAA, three games. He played the rest of the season back at Chattanooga. It was his final season as a pro.
- Tuscaloosa News, April 22, 1988: Ferry seeks successful return to Tuscaloosa
- Tuscaloosa News, June 7, 1990: Cincinnati Signee
Players/Coaches Featured:1,129
Made the Majors: 662 - 58.6%
Never Made Majors: 467-41.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 172
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