He was known as the Chairman of the Board. Yankees legend Whitey Ford passed away Friday at the age of 91, mere hours before his old team took the field in a decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ford had suffered from Alzheimer's disease in recent years according to reports.
Ford played his entire career in Pinstripes, winning 236 games and pitching to a career 2.75 ERA, winning six World Series titles and playing in 10 All Star Games. His 10 World Series game victories is the most of any pitcher. His 33.2 scoreless innings in the Fall Classic broke a record set by another legendary Yankee, Babe Ruth.
Ford is widely considered one of the greatest Yankees of all time, and the greatest left-handed pitcher in Yankees lore.
Ford, a New York native, went 9-1 his rookie year of 1950 at the age of 21, setting the stage for what would be a brilliant career. His best season of course coming in 1961 where Ford when 25-4 in 39 starts. That was backed up two years later when he went 24-7 with a 2.74 ERA in 1963.
In honor of Ford, the Yankees wore a black number 16 on their left sleeve.
"Whitey's name and accomplishments are forever stitched into the fabric of baseball's rich history," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He was a treasure, and one of the greatest of Yankees to ever wear the pinstripes. Beyond the accolades that earned him his rightful spot within the wall of the Hall of Fame, in so many ways he encapsulated the spirit of the Yankees teams he played for and represented for nearly two decades."
No comments:
Post a Comment