Whitey Ford died Oct. 8, 2020 at his Long Island home at age 91. He was the greatest Yankee pitcher of all time and spent his entire career with the Yankees.
Whitey Ford
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
5-10, 178lb (178cm, 80kg)
Born: October 21, 1928
High School: Aviation Tech HS (New York, NY)
Debut: July 1, 1950 (Age 21-253d, 8,302nd in MLB history)
vs. BOS 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 SO, 6 BB, 5 ER
Last Game: May 21, 1967 (Age 38-212d)
vs. DET 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 SO, 1 BB, 1 ER, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1974. (Voted by BBWAA on 284/365 ballots)
View Whitey Ford's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1950 season
Full Name: Edward Charles Ford
Nicknames: The Chairman of the Board or Slick
Yankee All Star catcher Elston Howard called Ford the Chairman of the Board. Yankee Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel called Ford Slick.
Ford had legendary Yankee friendships with Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle and with infielder and future Yankee manager Billy Martin. Mantle and Ford were inducted together into the Hall of Fame in 1974. I attended. Mantle died 25 years ago in 1995 age 63. Martin died Christmas day 1989 age 61.
Ford was very small for a Hall of Fame pitcher. Ford was not a power pitcher but relied on being just a little smarter than the opposing batters.
Ford was a local guy from the New York City borough of Queens. Later he lived for decades in Lake Success in bordering Nassau County. His children went to St. Anastasia grammar school at 45-14 245th Street. Douglaston, NY 11362. Occasionally Ford would attend events at the school.
1953-1964 Ford was the leading pitcher on Yankee teams that won 10 pennants in 12 seasons. Five of the 10 pennant winners also won the World Series against:
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers 4-2
1956 Brooklyn Dodgers 4-3
1958 Milwaukee Braves 4-3
1961 Cincinnati Reds 4-1
1962 San Francisco Giants 4-3
Ford never pitched in a game 7. The two times he started three games in a WS:
1958: 0-1, ERA 4.11
1962: 1-1, ERA 4.12
Ford lost his last three World Series decisions in 1963 and 1964 finishing at 10-8. He broke the pitching record of Babe Ruth for consecutive shutout innings over multiple World Series: 33 to 29. That included complete game shutouts in both his starts against Pittsburgh in 1960. In 1961 game one Ford pitched his third consecutive complete game shutout against Cincinnati; it was in Yankee Stadium. In game four Ford left after 5 shutout innings and got the win. He next pitched in the World Series in game one 1962 against the San Francisco Giants: complete game victory, his last, 6-2. The Giants scored single runs in innings 2 and 3. The run that broke the streak was a two out bunt single by Jose Pagan driving in Willie Mays, who singled in the other Giant run in the third.
In 1961 Ford was 25-4 and he won the Cy Young award as the best major league pitcher. 1956-1966 there was only one CY award for both the American and National Leagues.
In 1953, 1955, 1956 Ford pitched in the World Series against home town rival Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees won in 1953 and 1956. Duke Snider was the only left handed hitting threat on those Dodgers. Lefty Ford had to face righty batters Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Furillo. In Yankee Stadium that wasn't so bad but in Ebbets Field Ford was at a disadvantage. Manager Stengel started Ford in Brooklyn in only 2 of his 6 starts:
0-2 Ebbets Field: 1953 game 4, 1956 game 1
3-0 Yankee Stadium: Yanks won the fourth but Ford did not get the decision.
As mentioned previously, Ford never pitched in a World Series game 7. He started game 6 five times: 2-1.
Whitey Ford was known for his pickoff move to first base. In the late 1950s it was featured in a cigarette commercial.
Ford had a dry wit and could deliver a wisecrack. He was popular with teammates and opponents alike. May he rest in peace.
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