Whitey Ford has died.
The baseball legend, considered one of the best pitchers in history, passed away at the age of 91, the New York Yankees confirmed on Friday (October 8).
“The Yankees are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed,” they wrote.
He passed away at his home in Long Island Thursday night (October 8), a family member told The Associated Press. The cause of death was not immediately known.
He held the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century at .690 (236 wins, 106 loses), according to Fox News.
“The World Series record book is crowded with Ford’s accomplishments. His string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings from 1960-62 broke a record of 29 2-3 innings set by Babe Ruth. He still holds records for World Series games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10) and strikeouts (94). But his best seasons came in 1961 and 1963 in the midst of a stretch of five straight AL pennants for the Yankees when new manager Ralph Houk began using a four-man rotation instead of five. Ford led the league in victories with 25 in 1961, won the Cy Young Award and was the World Series MVP after winning two more games against Cincinnati. In 1963, he went 24-7, again leading the league in wins. Eight of his victories that season came in June,” the news outlet reported.
“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. Whitey earned his status as the ace of some of the most memorable teams in our sport’s rich history…I extend my deepest condolences to Whitey’s family, his friends and admirers throughout our game, and all fans of the Yankees,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Our thoughts are with Whitey Ford‘s loved ones at this difficult time.
We have sadly lost all of these stars in 2020.
The Yankees are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/2KDi4V9SeA
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 9, 2020
