Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher Whitey Ford passed away Friday at the age of 91. Ford is considered to be the greatest pitcher in the history of the New York Yankees. He pitched 16 season with organization from 1950-1967. He was the ace of the Yankees pitching staff during a time where a World Series appearance was almost a yearly occurrence for the franchise.
The Yankees are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/2KDi4V9SeA
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 9, 2020
The news comes on the day that the Yankees will face off with the Tampa Bay Rays in a win-or-go-home postseason game. Among all of his accolades, Ford was known as a big game pitcher. Although he pitched in an era where the postseason was comprised of only the World Series, he accumulated 146 postseason innings. In those innings, he set World Series records for wins, strikeouts, and consecutive scoreless innings.
His first start in the postseason was a near shutout. He fired 8 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball against the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was removed after an error in left field. After that, he completed seven World Series games, three of which were shutouts. Additionally, he was on six World Series championship teams.
Overall Dominance
Whitey Ford was known for his ability to pitch well in a big game, but he put together a great overall career. The lifelong-New York resident saw his childhood dreams realized in 1950. The Yankees called him up to help him down the stretch. Ironically, the move came one year after Ford personally called the team to offer his services for the 1949 pennant chase. The Yankees denied his request to come up from the minor leagues in 1949. Despite that, the call up in 1950 worked out well for the organization. At 21 years old, Ford went 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 112 innings. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting that season.
It would be several years before Ford would pitch for the Yankees again after 1950. With the Korean War going on, he was drafted into the military. As a result, he missed all of 1951 and 1952. He did not miss a beat when he returned in 1953, winning 18 games and pitching 207 innings pitched.
Accolades
With a career record of 236-106, the ten-time All-Star holds the best winning percentage in MLB history. Although that is impressive on its own, it is further amplified by the fact that Ford did not always pitch a consistent schedule.
Casey Stengel, his first manager, liked to match him up against opposing teams’ toughest pitcher, and he lost some close games as a result. That changed in 1961 when Ralph Houk became Yankees manager. Houk moved Ford to a consistent schedule in a four-man rotation. As a result, he went 25-4 in 1961 and 24-7 in 1963.
He led the league in wins three times, and ERA and innings pitched twice. In 1961, he won the Cy Young award in 1961. In 3,170 1/3 innings pitched, he recorded a 2.75 ERA.
Greatness Gone
Whitey Ford is now one of five MLB players enshrined in the Hall of Fame to pass away in 2020. Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and now Ford comprise the long list of all-time great MLB players lost. Ford remained an active member of the Yankees organization after his retirement in 1967, appearing at Spring Training and Old-Timer’s Days. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the second ballot with his good friend Mickey Mantle in 1974. His passing is a tremendous loss for the baseball community.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
