Full Description
Called the "Chairman of the Board" because of his remarkable control in big-money games, Eddie "Whitey" Ford still holds the record for World Series wins (10), and was Casey Stengel's ace during much of the Yankees' historic mid-century pennant streak. Off the mound, Whitey's carousing with Mickey Mantle was legendary, and he, in many ways, symbolizes the excesses and good fortunes of the Yankees during that era--living hard and winning often.
This book delves into the life and baseball career of Whitey Ford, the Hall of Fame left-hander who helped the Yankees win 11 pennants and six world championships. After a childhood on the New York sandlots, he quickly worked his way through the Yankees farm system and, when called up in 1950, won nine straight in a pennant race and then won the final game of the World Series sweep of the Phillies. He would go on to pitch for 16 seasons--all of them with New York--and retire as the winningest pitcher in franchise history. His story is detailed here with a generous helping of play-by-play action and personal anecdotes. Seven appendices offer Ford's career statistics and compare him to other great pitchers, past and present.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
1: Growing up on the Sandlots
2: Making the Majors
3: Back from the Army
4: "Next Year" Unfortunately Arrives
5: Chasing Twenty Wins
6: Ford vs. Spahn
7: A Great Season Interrupted by Injuries
8: A Disappointing Season
9: Pirates Steal Series, with Help from Stengel
10: Ford Finally Wins Twenty
11: Another Near No-Hitter and Another Title
12: Ford vs. Koufax
13: Chasing Ruth Again
14: End of an Era
15: Where Ford Ranks
Appendices
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
