Whitey, specialized in the curve ball and, as he later admitted, a trick pitch that involved cutting the ball to give it an unusual break. He was a high-percentage winner who specialized in big games.
He joined the Yankees during the 1950 season, won 9 consecutive games down the stretch, and beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the deciding fourth game of the World Series.
In 498 games, Ford had a 236-106 record, a .690 winning percentage, and a 2.75 ERA. He recorded 45 shutouts and struck out 1,956 hitters while walking 1,086 in 3,170 innings. When he retired, he held World Series records for most games, 22; most wins, 10; most losses, 8; most innings, 146; most strikeouts, 94; and most walks, 34.
