RIP Whitey Ford

[olds442jetaway]

We lost one one of the greatest Yankee pitchers of all time a couple of days ago at age 91. He spent his entire career with the Bronx bombers and was affectionately named Chairman of the board. He still holds many records in the pitching world. I loved to watch him pitch as a youngster and into my teens. He will be greatly missed. His entire career was with the New York Yankees, something unheard of today.

[Tedlark]

Yep, he definitely was a Yankee for life. As a boy, at a very young age, he dreamed of being a Yankee and his dream did come true. Hall of Famer who never let fans down.

[billryan]

Mr Ford and his wife lived a few miles from me, and in the 1970s were pretty involved with local youth baseball. He would attend many of the high school games but always watch from his car, because he didn't want his presence to distract from the kids playing the game.
For many years, he ran a batting cage/ party room and he was there the majority of the time. He said since his name was on the building, he didn't want to disappoint anyone who came to see him.
Later in life, he sunk a lot of money into a theme bar/restaurant filled with his personal memorabilia that failed in a bit over a year. Being a lifelong Yankee, he wasn't used to failure and it affected him badly.
Although he lost a fortune on it, I think he felt worse for the staff that lost their jobs.
He retired before I got into baseball, but I remember his 1965 Topps card, as that was the first year I collected them.
Rest in peace, and have fun throwing to Thurman.

[OTABILL]

RIP Whitey. A class act. Never rooted for the Yankees when he was pitching but appreciated his greatness. Both NY teams lost their greatest pitchers a little over a month apart. Sad time for NY baseball fans. BTW BR, he would be throwing to Yogi or Elston Howard, not Thurman.

[olds442jetaway]

Great posts gang. My 1955 Ted Williams card and my 1962 Whitey card with many others were lost in a washing machine flood in my parents basement in the late 1960s. Bummer. Of course back then, I just kept them in a shoe box

[OTABILL]

Great posts gang. My 1955 Ted Williams card and my 1962 Whitey card with many others were lost in a washing machine flood in my parents basement in the late 1960s. Bummer. Of course back then, I just kept them in a shoe box

LOL. My aunt had give my cards away to a cousin in the 60s to encourage him to get interested in baseball. So I gave him my shoebox.

[olds442jetaway]

Some of my best cards were not right out of the package. When we had money to buy them which wasn’t very often, it was a treat. Four or five of us in the gang would walk or bike to the local variety store and buy a pack or two each. Then we would all open them together, usually tossing the pink bubble gum. We would trade a few and over the next few weeks shoot marbles for more. Very few were kept in brand new condition or in special holders. Thus, the usual shoe box home for them.
I think it was in 1957 when I bought and opened a pack of cards and in there was a Charlie Neal card, a very good 2 nd baseman and slugger for the Brooklyn Dodgers. That evening when I finished my homework and turned the game on, Charlie Neal hit a home run on the first pitch of the game. Unfortunately, the year before, he went hitless in four at bats against Whitey Ford in one of the World Series games. Don’t ask me how I remember such things. Somehow, I just do. On the other hand, I forget what we had for dinner yesterday.

[Tedlark]

And R.I.P. to "Little Joe." One of the main cogs in The Big Red Machine.....

[davidearl]

Whitey Ford was always a Tiger killer, and the chief reason the Tigers lost the Pennant in '61. The other two reasons were Mantle and Marris.
Speaking of the Big Red Machine, Sparky Anderson was not yet a manager, when he ended up on my bicycle spokes, if only I knew! He made a great Harley though.

[billryan]

And R.I.P. to "Little Joe." One of the main cogs in The Big Red Machine.....

The best player in the game in the mid 1970s.
Rest In Peace.