Yankees pitching great Edward Charles “Whitey” Ford has died. He was 91.
Ford’s death was confirmed by family, The Associated Press reported. Ford died Thursday at his Long Island home. The cause was not known.
He was nicknamed “Chairman of the Board” for his ability to remain calm even under pressure and his role as leader of the Yankees' pitching staff. Ford appeared in six World Series during his career with the Yankees from 1950 to 1967, helping the team become perennial champions. He was more than dependable, winning the Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP in 1961.
He spent two years in the military during the Korean War and returned to play in 1953. His 236 wins and 106 losses, a .690 winning percentage, symbolized the extraordinary strength of the Yankees teams of that period. The team failed twice to make the postseason between Ford’s rookie season and 1964.
Ford was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, what he called the highlight of his career.
“It never was anything I imagined was possible or anything I dared dream about when I was a kid growing up on the sidewalks of New York,” he wrote in his autobiography. “I never really thought I would make it as a kid because I always was too small.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
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