Cooperstown Reacts to the Passing of Baseball Legend Whitey Ford

Baseball legend Whitey Ford, who was known as the most dependable pitcher in baseball history, has died according to the Associated Press. He was 91. The cause of death is unknown, but Ford had been suffering from as long bout with dementia. He passed away on Thursday.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame reacted today to the news of Ford's passing, as many members of baseball's royalty had much to say about "The Chairman of the Board."

Edward “Whitey” Ford was the big-game pitcher on the great New York Yankees teams of the 1950s and early-1960s. Catcher Elston Howard nicknamed Ford “The Chairman of the Board” for his ability to manage his fielders and control the game. Ford’s lifetime record of 236-106 gave him an astounding .690 winning percentage. The southpaw twice paced the American League in ERA and shutouts, also leading the league in wins three times. The 1961 A.L. Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star still holds many World Series records, including 10 victories and 94 strikeouts, once pitching 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the Fall Classic.

When Ford was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974, he spoke from the heart, according to the HOF. “To think when I was 21 years old, I’d be playing with DiMaggio and Berra, against guys like Stan Musial and Roy Campanella, it’s just something I can’t fathom. It’s just been great,” Ford said at the induction in July of 1974.

Whitey Ford’s Hall of Fame plaque (elected, 1974)

Edward Charles Ford “Whitey”. New York, A.L., 1950-67

Posted best winning percentage (.690) among twentieth century pitchers with 200 or more decisions. Had 236 victories and 106 losses. Lifetime earned run average 2.74. Paced A.L. in victories and winning pct. three times and in earned-run average and shutouts twice. Won Cy Young Award in 1961. Set World Series standards for games pitches, 22; innings, 146; wins, 10, and strikeouts, 94, and with 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Whitey Ford Bio

 Born: Oct. 21, 1928 at New York, NY

Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 178

Threw and batted left

 Edward “Whitey” Ford was the big-game pitcher on the great New York Yankees teams of the 1950s and early-1960s. Catcher Elston Howard nicknamed Ford “The Chairman of the Board” for his ability to manage his fielders and control the game. Ford’s lifetime record of 236-106 gave him an astounding .690 winning percentage. The southpaw twice paced the American League in ERA and shutouts, also leading the league in wins three times. The 1961 A.L. Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star still holds many World Series records, including 10 victories and 94 strikeouts, once pitching 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the Fall Classic.

“Whitey Ford anchored the great Yankees teams of the 1950s and ’60s and was the winningest pitcher in the team’s storied history," said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  "A six-time champion and the owner of the most World Series wins by any pitcher, Whitey loved the Hall of Fame, Cooperstown and the legacy that he and his teammates built during the game’s golden era. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and we will celebrate his life in Cooperstown forever.”