His Field, Our Dreams
The late Joseph S. Ferebee Sr., Pfeiffer鈥檚 legendary baseball coach, 鈥渨as a remarkable teacher. He touched us all, and his lessons have lasted us a lifetime. We love you, Coach.鈥�
With these words,聽Bob Gulledge 鈥�68, a close friend of Ferebee鈥檚 who played for him at Pfeiffer, opens a new book called聽His Field, Our Dreams: A Lifetime of Baseball with Legendary Coach Joe Ferebee聽(Palmetto Publishing). Proceeds from sales of聽His Field聽will benefit Pfeiffer鈥檚 baseball program.
Ferebee, a native of Mocksville, N.C., became the winningest baseball coach in North Carolina college and American Legion history. Between 1956 and 1987, he won 677 games as Pfeiffer鈥檚 head coach. He won another 694 as the coach of several American Legion teams, four of which won state titles. He led Salisbury (N.C.) High School鈥檚 baseball team to a state championship in 1955.
Throughout His Field 鈥� which Gulledge and Gary Weart 鈥�71 helped compile 鈥� many of Ferebee鈥檚 former players and friends pay tribute to him. All told, 67 people have contributed remembrances in the book, which has been edited and proofed by Margaret Whitt 鈥�68. Weart recruited some contributors, wrote his own piece, impacted the design of the book鈥檚 cover and title, and supplied many of its photographs.
鈥淓ach individual writer made an A+ on his or her story,鈥� said Gulledge, who played second base behind Griggy Porter 鈥�69, who just missed being called up to the Chicago Cubs鈥� major league team. 鈥淲hen you read this book, you will see that Coach picked his players on merit but loved us all. Many of us became close friends of his after Pfeiffer. Recruiting all these people for the book was not a problem because they all had great respect for Coach.鈥�
His Field is definitely an example of teamwork learned from a master:
Marty Brennaman, the Hall of Famer voice of the Cincinnati Reds for 46 years until his retirement in 2019, has written the book鈥檚 foreword. He first encountered Ferebee鈥檚 coaching prowess when he called American Legion games.
Among the book鈥檚 contributors is the late Braxton Richmond 鈥淏rack鈥� Bailey III 鈥�60 of Bermuda Run, N.C. Bailey this past January, shortly after contributing to His Field. He was among the first Pfeiffer players recruited by Ferebee. After graduating Pfeiffer, he played seven seasons in the minor league system of the Los Angeles Dodgers, achieving a promotion to Triple-A ball in the process.
Tommy Eaton 鈥�60, the star of the Salisbury state title winners and the third-place finishers in the 1955 Little World Series, was Bailey鈥檚 first Pfeiffer roommate. He died shortly before Bailey did. After playing for him, both Eaton and Bailey became lifelong friends of their former coach.
In His Field, Bailey calls Ferebee 鈥渢he best teacher of baseball fundamentals for whom I have played,鈥� including Hall of Famers Tommy Lasorda and Duke Snyder.
Another contributor to His Field, Don Berti 鈥�81, played four-and-a-half years in the Houston Astros鈥� minor league system. He became one of 鈥渢he boys from New York鈥� who came to Pfeiffer to play for Ferebee.
Before Bertie visited the school, he had only spoken with Ferebee on the telephone. After arriving on campus, Bertie had to go looking for his new coach. When he found him, he was raking the infield, separating weeds from grass. Ferebee 鈥渙ccasionally reached down and grabbed a weed or a blade of glass, asking me if I knew what it was,鈥� Bertie says in the book. 鈥淭hat was Coach鈥檚 first lesson on life, based on edible grass and weeds.鈥�
Contributor Neil Shouse 鈥�66 became the baseball coach at Mount Pleasant (N.C.) High right after playing for Ferebee at Pfeiffer. He took that team, which had a .500 record in the year prior to his arrival, to the state finals. He credits his success to the 鈥淔erebee way,鈥� which entails totally absorbing the game and being involved in every minute detail.
His Field is the idea of Gulledge, who only wishes 鈥渨e could all read the book to Coach.鈥� It is the latest of several ways that Pfeiffer鈥檚 baseball alumni have been working to keep Ferebee鈥檚 memory alive. In 2019, they celebrated Ferebee鈥檚 100th birthday by making a three-part gift to Pfeiffer.
The gift included commissioning Mark Stephenson 鈥�84 to paint a portrait of Ferebee that hangs in Merner Gymnasium, establishing the Joe Ferebee Award, and starting a Legacy Fund. The award is to be given annually to a player who best exemplifies Ferebee鈥檚 values, and the fund provides annual support for Pfeiffer鈥檚 baseball program.
Gulledge expressed satisfaction with the book project.
鈥淚t became a way for us to help people, especially those in the Pfeiffer community, remember Coach Ferebee鈥檚 legacy and accomplishments,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e also hope to make a little money for the baseball program.鈥�
Ken Keuffel, who authored this article, has served as Pfeiffer鈥檚 Assistant Director of Communications since December 2019. He welcomes story ideas from Pfeiffer鈥檚 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. The form for submitting story ideas is at Story Idea/News Item Request Form.