Yankees legend Whitey Ford dies at 91
Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford, who led the New York Yankees to six World Series titles and 11 American League pennants in his 16-year career, has died at the age of 91, the Yankees announced on Friday. A cause of death was not given.
A 10-time all-star and the winner of the 1961 Cy Young Award, Ford won more games as a Yankee than any other pitcher, compiling a career record of 236-106 and a .690 winning percentage — the best of any pitcher with at least 300 career decisions. Ford was also an eight-time Game One starter in the World Series, and holds World Series records for wins (10), starts (22), strikeouts (94), and innings pitched (146).
In his autobiography, Ford, a native New Yorker, wrote that his 1974 Hall of Fame election was not "anything I imagined was possible or anything I dared dream about when I was a kid growing up on the sidewalks of New York… I never really thought I would make it as a kid because I always was too small."
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ford is the latest baseball legend to pass away in 2020, following the deaths of Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, and Bob Gibson.
