Of Whitey Ford's eight Fall Classic losses, five came at the hand of left-handers. Some classic lefty-lefty duels. Well, I guess this was all coming from out in left. Or as Sports Illustrated said about the 1963 World Series Preview: A Vote For The Left!
Ford actually didn't lose against a lefthander until game four of the 1958 World Series. It was a crucial affair. Ford's New York Yankees were down two games to one against Warren Spahn's Milwaukee Braves, and they needed this one at home.
But they didn't get it. Ford didn't pitch too badly. Johnny Logan hit a grounder to score Red Schoendienst from third. But the grounder resulted in an error by Tony Kubek. So that was an unearned run in the top of the sixth. In the seventh, it was Spahn himself with a single to score an earned run. One more run off Ford and a fine two-hitter from Spahn made the final score 3-0, Milwaukee.
Whitey didn't lose another Fall Classic game to a southpaw until game six of the 1962 Fall Classic. The Yankees looked poised to end their affair with the San Francisco Giants. But it was the Giants' Billy Pierce that sent the 1962 Fall Classic to the limit.
Pierce went out and shut down the Yankees, allowing just two runs. One of them was on a Roger Maris home run. But Ford came undone in the bottom of the fourth. He picked Felipe Alou off second, but Ford's throw was wild and Alou scored. When Orlando Cepeda followed with a double, Willie Mays scored to make it 2-0, Giants. Jim Davenport singled to score Cepeda. Another run by the Giants off Ford in the next inning finished Whitey.
The 1963 World Series saw Ford face his toughest test: Sandy Koufax! The Los Angeles Dodger was looking for his first Fall Classic win for his part. And he got two against Ford in '63!
The two ace lefties met in game one. Ford K'd two in the top of the first inning in the game played at Yankee Stadium. But Koufax went out and fanned the first five batters to face him! It was ex-teammate Moose Skowron who drove in the game's first run the next inning. Dick Tracewski followed with a single. When catcher Johnny Roseboro hit a double, three runs scored. It was 4-0 and Koufax was home free. Skowron drove home another run later. Koufax finally was scored on twice by New York on a two-run home run by Tommy Tresh in the bottom of the eighth. But that's all the Yankees got an the final score was 5-2, Los Angeles!
In game four, Ford pitched one of his best World Series games ever. And it was the first time he'd ever pitched in Chavez Ravine. He'd lost his last game thrown on the West Coast, but this one was a two-hitter.
Frank Howard had both hits. But one of them was a home run. In the bottom of the second, Howard had singled. He was then erased as the next batter, Skowron (who'd added a home run in game two) grounded into a double play.
Mickey Mantle got Ford out of a 1-0 deficit with a home run off Sandy Koufax in the top of the seventh. The majestic Mantle, was beginning to break down at 32, but one bad pitch to him, and you pay. The round tripper also tied him with Babe Ruth for most home runs in the World Series all time. But it would not matter for long.
Jim Gilliam led off the Dodger's half of the frame by hitting a tough bouncer to Clete Boyer at third. Boyer not only made the play, but he got the throw off to first. Joe Pepitone, New York's first basemen, lost the ball however, in the white shirts behind third. By the time Pepitone got to it, Gilliam was on third. Tommy Davis flew out to Mantle in centre, Gilliam scored and Los Angeles was back on top, 2-1. No one scored against Ford again. Hal Reniff came in and pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for New York, but Koufax survived a Phil Linz single in the top of the eighth. A Bobby Richardson single, and an error by Dick Tracewski put Sandy in another hole in the top of the ninth, but Sandy got Hector Lopez to ground out and end that. The Dodgers had a sweep and Ford got tagged with a hard-luck loss.
Ford had an injured arm as he took the hill in game one of the 1964 World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals presented themselves as some stiff opposition. The good news was that Whitey wouldn't have to face Bob Gibson or lefty Curt Simmons in game one. That would have been tough. Ray Sadecki took the hill instead. But Sadecki went 20-11 that year. So this guy was no pushover.
Ken Boyer drove home the first Cardinal run on a sac fly to Mantle, who was playing right with Roger Maris in centre. St. Louis was ahead, but not for long.
Tom Tresh smashed a two-run home run off Sadecki in the top of the second to make it 2-1, New York. Ford then scored Ken's younger brother Clete with a single. Ford himself was cut down at home when he tried to score on Bobby Richardson's single.
Sadecki then got into the pitcher's hitting act himself with a single to score Mike Shannon in the bottom of the frame. Ford got out of there with no further damage. Then, he seemed to settle down. His teammates some offence left for good measure!
Mickey Mantle singled with two out in the top of the fifth. Elston Howard singled Mickey to second. Tom Tresh, having a great game so far, doubled home Mantle to make it 4-2. Three straight two-out hits! Ford seemed to have this thing in the bag!
But Ford's arm was beginning to fail him. After getting the Cardinals out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, disaster struck him and reliever Al Downing. Ken Boyer singled in the bottom of the sixth. A passed ball moved him to second. Ford fanned Bill White, but it proved to be the last batter he retired. Mike Shannon absouluty crushed a Ford offering to left that hit off the "B" in the Budweiser sign in left. The game was tied, 4-4. When Tim McCarver hit a double between the M and M boys in right centre, Ford was done. Al Downing came in and got Charlie James to pop up. Pinch hitter Carl Warwick singled just passed Phil Linz at short to score McCarver. On the throw home, Warwick went to second. Curt Flood hit a fly to left that Tom Tresh seem to have, then not have. He later explained that he'd lost it in the sum. A last second stab at it was no use as the ball hit the wall. Warwick scored and Flood had a triple. Downing got the next batter out and had a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, but the Yankees could only score one more run. Rollie Sheldon and Pete Mikkelsen could not hold the fort in the last of the eighth, and a 6-5 game became a 9-5 blowout.
Ford's injured arm shelved him for the rest of the 1964 Fall Classic. The Yankees never made it back during Whitey's last three years.
Whitey Ford, in my book, was probably the greatest pitcher to take the mound in the Fall Classic. Yet, even the greatest can meet their match when they have to go up against guys like Spahn and Koufax, unquestionably two of the finest of all-time. Pierce and Sadecki were also tough opposition for Ford. But many of these were classic battles, which help make the World Series so exciting as two southpaws proved they're both capable of being the right guy to take the hill!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Ford, Whitey, and Phil Pepe. Slick. New York: W. Morrow, 1987. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Ford actually didn't lose against a lefthander until game four of the 1958 World Series. It was a crucial affair. Ford's New York Yankees were down two games to one against Warren Spahn's Milwaukee Braves, and they needed this one at home.
But they didn't get it. Ford didn't pitch too badly. Johnny Logan hit a grounder to score Red Schoendienst from third. But the grounder resulted in an error by Tony Kubek. So that was an unearned run in the top of the sixth. In the seventh, it was Spahn himself with a single to score an earned run. One more run off Ford and a fine two-hitter from Spahn made the final score 3-0, Milwaukee.
Whitey didn't lose another Fall Classic game to a southpaw until game six of the 1962 Fall Classic. The Yankees looked poised to end their affair with the San Francisco Giants. But it was the Giants' Billy Pierce that sent the 1962 Fall Classic to the limit.
Pierce went out and shut down the Yankees, allowing just two runs. One of them was on a Roger Maris home run. But Ford came undone in the bottom of the fourth. He picked Felipe Alou off second, but Ford's throw was wild and Alou scored. When Orlando Cepeda followed with a double, Willie Mays scored to make it 2-0, Giants. Jim Davenport singled to score Cepeda. Another run by the Giants off Ford in the next inning finished Whitey.
The 1963 World Series saw Ford face his toughest test: Sandy Koufax! The Los Angeles Dodger was looking for his first Fall Classic win for his part. And he got two against Ford in '63!
The two ace lefties met in game one. Ford K'd two in the top of the first inning in the game played at Yankee Stadium. But Koufax went out and fanned the first five batters to face him! It was ex-teammate Moose Skowron who drove in the game's first run the next inning. Dick Tracewski followed with a single. When catcher Johnny Roseboro hit a double, three runs scored. It was 4-0 and Koufax was home free. Skowron drove home another run later. Koufax finally was scored on twice by New York on a two-run home run by Tommy Tresh in the bottom of the eighth. But that's all the Yankees got an the final score was 5-2, Los Angeles!
In game four, Ford pitched one of his best World Series games ever. And it was the first time he'd ever pitched in Chavez Ravine. He'd lost his last game thrown on the West Coast, but this one was a two-hitter.
Frank Howard had both hits. But one of them was a home run. In the bottom of the second, Howard had singled. He was then erased as the next batter, Skowron (who'd added a home run in game two) grounded into a double play.
Mickey Mantle got Ford out of a 1-0 deficit with a home run off Sandy Koufax in the top of the seventh. The majestic Mantle, was beginning to break down at 32, but one bad pitch to him, and you pay. The round tripper also tied him with Babe Ruth for most home runs in the World Series all time. But it would not matter for long.
Jim Gilliam led off the Dodger's half of the frame by hitting a tough bouncer to Clete Boyer at third. Boyer not only made the play, but he got the throw off to first. Joe Pepitone, New York's first basemen, lost the ball however, in the white shirts behind third. By the time Pepitone got to it, Gilliam was on third. Tommy Davis flew out to Mantle in centre, Gilliam scored and Los Angeles was back on top, 2-1. No one scored against Ford again. Hal Reniff came in and pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for New York, but Koufax survived a Phil Linz single in the top of the eighth. A Bobby Richardson single, and an error by Dick Tracewski put Sandy in another hole in the top of the ninth, but Sandy got Hector Lopez to ground out and end that. The Dodgers had a sweep and Ford got tagged with a hard-luck loss.
Ford had an injured arm as he took the hill in game one of the 1964 World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals presented themselves as some stiff opposition. The good news was that Whitey wouldn't have to face Bob Gibson or lefty Curt Simmons in game one. That would have been tough. Ray Sadecki took the hill instead. But Sadecki went 20-11 that year. So this guy was no pushover.
Ken Boyer drove home the first Cardinal run on a sac fly to Mantle, who was playing right with Roger Maris in centre. St. Louis was ahead, but not for long.
Tom Tresh smashed a two-run home run off Sadecki in the top of the second to make it 2-1, New York. Ford then scored Ken's younger brother Clete with a single. Ford himself was cut down at home when he tried to score on Bobby Richardson's single.
Sadecki then got into the pitcher's hitting act himself with a single to score Mike Shannon in the bottom of the frame. Ford got out of there with no further damage. Then, he seemed to settle down. His teammates some offence left for good measure!
Mickey Mantle singled with two out in the top of the fifth. Elston Howard singled Mickey to second. Tom Tresh, having a great game so far, doubled home Mantle to make it 4-2. Three straight two-out hits! Ford seemed to have this thing in the bag!
But Ford's arm was beginning to fail him. After getting the Cardinals out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, disaster struck him and reliever Al Downing. Ken Boyer singled in the bottom of the sixth. A passed ball moved him to second. Ford fanned Bill White, but it proved to be the last batter he retired. Mike Shannon absouluty crushed a Ford offering to left that hit off the "B" in the Budweiser sign in left. The game was tied, 4-4. When Tim McCarver hit a double between the M and M boys in right centre, Ford was done. Al Downing came in and got Charlie James to pop up. Pinch hitter Carl Warwick singled just passed Phil Linz at short to score McCarver. On the throw home, Warwick went to second. Curt Flood hit a fly to left that Tom Tresh seem to have, then not have. He later explained that he'd lost it in the sum. A last second stab at it was no use as the ball hit the wall. Warwick scored and Flood had a triple. Downing got the next batter out and had a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, but the Yankees could only score one more run. Rollie Sheldon and Pete Mikkelsen could not hold the fort in the last of the eighth, and a 6-5 game became a 9-5 blowout.
Ford's injured arm shelved him for the rest of the 1964 Fall Classic. The Yankees never made it back during Whitey's last three years.
Whitey Ford, in my book, was probably the greatest pitcher to take the mound in the Fall Classic. Yet, even the greatest can meet their match when they have to go up against guys like Spahn and Koufax, unquestionably two of the finest of all-time. Pierce and Sadecki were also tough opposition for Ford. But many of these were classic battles, which help make the World Series so exciting as two southpaws proved they're both capable of being the right guy to take the hill!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Ford, Whitey, and Phil Pepe. Slick. New York: W. Morrow, 1987. Print.
Golenbock,
Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees,
1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Snyder,
John S. World Series!: Great Moments and
Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
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