It’s photo day for the Yankees down at George M. Steinbrenner Field today, and it looks like the team will have a new addition to their uniforms for 2021.
Looks like the Yankees will wear a No. 16 patch this year to honor Whitey Ford. pic.twitter.com/oaWUZnhJ2c
— Rich (@RAKcity27) February 24, 2021
The Yankees briefly wore 16 on their sleeves last year in the playoffs before they were eliminated by the Rays.
Edward Charles “Whitey” Ford, the greatest pitcher in Yankees franchise history, passed away last October just shy of his 92nd birthday.
The “Chairman of the Board” played his entire career in the Bronx from 1950-1967 — he missed two seasons in 1951 and 1952 to serve in the Korean War.
Over his Hall of Fame career, Ford was a 10 time All Star who went 236-106 with a 2.75 ERA. His .690 winning percentage is the highest for any pitcher with at least 150 victories in the Modern Era. His 236 victories is a Yankees franchise record.
In 1961 he won the Cy Young Award when he went an unbelievable 25-4 with a 3.21 ERA over 283 innings pitched. That year, he was also named the World Series MVP after going 2-0 while not allowing a run over 14 innings; the Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games.
Ford was the ace for the 50’s dynasty, pitching to a 2.71 career postseason ERA en route to winning six championships. He played in 11 World Series throughout his 16 years in the big leagues.
The Yankees will likely honor Ford at some point during the 2021 season. It’s unclear yet if Old Timers’ Day will take place. It was cancelled last season due to COVID-19.
