They called him ‘The Chairman of the Board’:Former New York Yankees pitching great “Whitey” Ford, gone at age 91(Yankees all-time Wins Leader and 6-Time World Series Champion)

The New York Yankees all-time wins leader and a six-time World Series Champion, plus a Baseball Hall of Famer, Edward Charles “Whitey” Ford has left us today, at age 91…..

Here are some of the notes on Whitey Ford from the back of my Whitey Ford 1956 baseball card

Height-5’10…Weight-175…Throws-Left…Bats-Left…Home-Glen Cove, New York…Born-October 21, 1928…

Whitey tied a record with Two Consecutive One-Hitters in 1955…He’s one of the Coolest Workmen on the Mound in baseball…The Yankees called Whitey Ford, their “Fair-Haired Boy”…..

All of that above from my 1956 Whitey Ford baseball card
**********Interesting Note:Whitey Ford became the first Yankees pitcher to have his number retired when his No. 16 was hung up in Monument Park in August 1974, the same summer in which he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Mickey Mantle, his good friend.**********

from Mark Feinsand at MLB.com…..CLICK HERE to read all and to see all from this one….

Whitey Ford, the Yankees’ all-time wins leader, Hall of Famer and six-time World Series champion, has died at the age of 91.

The Yankees announced Ford’s passing on Friday, 12 days shy of what would have been Ford’s birthday. They said he died on Thursday night, surrounded by family while watching the Yankees’ Division Series game against the Rays.

“Today all of Major League Baseball mourns the loss of Whitey Ford, a New York City native who became a legend for his hometown team,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “Whitey earned his status as the ace of some of the most memorable teams in our sport’s rich history. Beyond the Chairman of the Board’s excellence on the mound, he was a distinguished ambassador for our National Pastime throughout his life. I extend my deepest condolences to Whitey’s family, his friends and admirers throughout our game, and all fans of the Yankees.”

“Whitey’s name and accomplishments are forever stitched into the fabric of baseball’s rich history,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. “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 walls 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.

“Whitey was New York tough. When you couple that with his dedicated service to our country, a deep love for the only team he ever played for, six World Championships, and a genuine personality and charisma that showed throughout his life, it’s no wonder he endeared himself as a legend to generations of Yankees fans everywhere.

“While there is comfort knowing Whitey was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing while watching his favorite team compete, this is a tremendous loss to the Yankees and the baseball community. We have lost our ‘Chairman of the Board,’ and we extend our deepest condolences to the entire Ford family.”

The left-hander — nicknamed “The Chairman of the Board” by batterymate Elston Howard — went 236-106 with a 2.75 ERA during his 16 years with New York, winning his only Cy Young Award in 1961. Ford, whose .690 winning percentage is the highest of any pitcher with at least 150 victories in the modern era, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

“I grew up on Long Island, not too far from Yankee Stadium,” Ford said during his Hall of Fame induction. “I was a Yankee fan since I was five or six years old. To think when I was 21 years old I’d be playing with [Joe] DiMaggio and [Yogi] Berra against guys like Stan Musial and Roy Campanella, it’s just something I can’t fathom. It’s just been great.”

Born on Oct. 21, 1928, in New York City, Edward Charles Ford attended a tryout camp with the Yankees as a first baseman in 1946. A Yankees scout noticed his arm, suggested he try pitching and taught him how to throw a curveball. That led to Ford signing with the Yankees as an amateur for $7,000 before the 1947 season.

The blond-haired Ford was given the nickname “Whitey” by Lefty Gomez, the legendary Yankees southpaw who managed him in Binghamton in the Class A Eastern League.

Ford spent three seasons in the Minor Leagues before debuting as a reliever for New York on July 1, 1950. Ford would go 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 20 games (12 starts) during his rookie season, winning The Sporting News’ Rookie of the Year honors while finishing second to Red Sox first baseman Walt Dropo in the American League Rookie of the Year vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

2 thoughts on “They called him ‘The Chairman of the Board’:Former New York Yankees pitching great “Whitey” Ford, gone at age 91(Yankees all-time Wins Leader and 6-Time World Series Champion)

  1. Bob Nightengale
    @BNightengale

    The Baseball Hall of Fame has lost Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Tom Seaver and Al Kaline in this horrific 2020 year…..

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