Whitey Ford Marquee Hall of Fame 1974

Two seasons are missing from the middle of his record. The Army took him for 1951 and 1952, after a 9-1 half-season as a rookie. He came back to a New York club that won eleven pennants and six championships in his sixteen years, and he finished with a 2.75 earned run average, 45 shutouts and 156 complete games.

Casey Stengel used him sparingly on purpose, saving him for the strongest opponents, which held his start totals down through the 1950s. Ralph Houk replaced Stengel in 1961 and put him in a regular four-day rotation. Ford made 39 starts, up from 29 the year before, went 25-4, and won the Cy Young Award when one award covered both leagues.

He was five feet ten and left-handed, and he worked on control and nerve rather than speed. His teammates called him the Chairman of the Board. He led the American League in wins three times, in 1955, 1961 and 1963, and pitched his last game in May 1967 at thirty-eight.