Whitey Ford

Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board," he signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1947 and made his major league debut in 1950. After a two-year absence to serve in the United States Army during the Korean War, Ford returned to the Yankees in 1953 and pitched for the team until his retirement in 1967.

Over his career he was a 10-time All-Star and a six-time World Series champion. In 1961 he won both the Cy Young Award and the World Series Most Valuable Player Award. He led the American League in wins three times and in earned run average twice. Ford set numerous World Series pitching records, including consecutive scoreless innings (33), wins (10), games started (22), innings pitched (146), and strikeouts (94).

Ford remains the Yankees franchise leader in career wins (236), shutouts (45), innings pitched (3,170 1⁄3), and games started by a pitcher (438, tied with Andy Pettitte). The Yankees retired his uniform number. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.