LAKE SUCCESS, New York, USA (AP) – Whitey Ford, the New Yorker who posted the best winning percentage of all pitchers in the 20th century and led the Yankees to become perennial baseball champions in the United States. The 1950s and 1960s died. He was 91 years old.
A member of his family revealed to The Associated Press on Friday that Ford passed away at his home on Long Island Thursday night. The cause of his death is unknown.
Nicknamed the “Chairman of the Board,” Ford was a crafty southpaw who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1950 to 1967, always with the Yankees. He is considered one of the most reliable pitchers in the history of the major leagues.
He won 236 games and lost just 106, a .690 winning percentage. He would help represent the almost machine-like efficiency of the Yankees in the mid-20th century when only twice between Ford’s rookie year and 1964 did the team fail to advance to the postseason.
Ford’s death is the latest this year among baseball legends: Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, and Bob Gibson.
The World Series record book is full of Ford accomplishments. His streak of 33 consecutive innings without allowing a run from 1960 to 1962 broke a 29 2/3 inning mark set by Babe Ruth. Ford still holds records for World Series games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10), and strikeouts (94).
Ford’s best seasons were in 1961 and 1963, in the midst of the Yankees’ five consecutive American League pennant streak when new manager Ralph Houk began using a rotation of four starters instead of five. Ford led the league in wins with 25 in 1961, won the Cy Young Award, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series after adding two more victories against Cincinnati. In 1963, he was 24-7 to once again lead the league in victories. He had eight of those wins on the season in June.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
