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MLB world mourns the loss of New York Yankees legend Whitey Ford

New York Yankees legend Whitey Ford
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees legend Whitey Ford passed away at the age of 91 on Friday, coming just a week after St. Louis Cardinals icon Bob Gibson died.

Ford, who spent his entire MLB career with the Yankees from 1950-’67, is one of the most decorated players in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 with 77.81% of the vote.

Across 16 seasons in New York, Ford proved to be an incredibly dominant starting pitcher. He led MLB in ERA twice (1956, ’58), led the AL in wins three times (1955, ’61, ’63) and won the Cy Young Award in 1961. Even more impressively, the southpaw was a 10-time All-Star and a six-time World Series champion.

Ford routinely saved his best stuff for the postseason and is now recognized as one of the best pitchers in playoff history. Across 146 innings, he posted a 10-8 record with a 2.71 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Ford won World Series MVP in 1961 and is the only pitcher to start four consecutive Game 1s in the postseason, a feat he accomplished twice.

A native of New York City, Ford’s No. 16 is retired by the Yankees and he is honored at Monument Park. When the Yankees face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, New York will pay tribute to its fallen legend.

Following Ford’s passing, the MLB world paid tribute to his incredible career and mourned the loss of a sports icon in New York.

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