Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (born October 21, 1928[1]) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford(出生於1926年10月21日)是前大聯盟投手，他的18年職業生涯完全奉獻給紐約洋基隊。Ford於1974年入選棒球名人堂。
Early life and career
早年生活與生涯初期
Ford was a native of the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, located in New York City just a few miles from Yankee Stadium over the Triborough Bridge.[2] Ford was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1947, and played his entire career in a Yankees uniform. He was given the nickname "Whitey" while in the minor leagues for his exceptionally blond hair. Ford graduated from Aviation High School in nearby Sunnyside, Queens. [3]
Ford出生於紐約市皇后區的亞士多利亞，越過三區大橋距離洋基球場僅幾哩的距離。Ford於1947年以菜鳥自由球員的身分與洋基隊簽約，且生涯自始至終都效力於洋基隊。在小聯盟時由於一頭顯眼的金髮，所以得到了"Whitey"這個綽號。
Ford began his Major League Baseball career on July 1, 1950, with the Yankees and made a spectacular debut, winning his first nine decisions before losing a game in relief. Ford received a handful of lower-ballot Most Valuable Player votes despite throwing just 112 innings, and was voted the AL Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News. (Walt Dropo was the Rookie of Year choice of the BBWAA.)
Ford的大聯盟生涯自1950年7月1日開始，並且有個令人感到驚奇的初登板，他獲得了9連勝的成績，直到一次後援出賽才吞下了敗戰。儘管該年Ford只投了112局，但是仍然在最有價值球員票選中獲得了一些低分選票，並且被Sporting News選為美聯年度最佳新人。(Walt Dropo則為美國棒球作家協會所選出的年度最佳新人。)
In 1951 and 1952 he served in the Army during the Korean War. He rejoined the Yankees for the 1953 season, and the Yankee "Big Three" pitching staff became a "Big Four," as Ford joined Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and Eddie Lopat.
1951年與1952年韓戰期間，他曾入伍從軍，並且在1953年球季再度加入紐約洋基隊，也使得洋基隊投手陣容從原本由Allie Reynolds，Vic Raschi與Eddie Lopat所組成的"三巨投"變成了"四巨投"。
Pitching career
投手生涯
Eventually Ford went from the No. 4 pitcher on a great staff to the universally acclaimed No. 1 pitcher of the Yankees, becoming known as the "Chairman of the Board" for his ability to remain calm and in command during high-pressure situations. He was also known as "Slick" for his craftiness on the mound. Ford's guile was necessary because he did not have an overwhelming fastball, but being able to throw several other pitches very well gave him pinpoint control. Nonetheless, Ford was an effective strikeout pitcher for his time, tying the then-AL record for six consecutive strikeouts in 1956, and again in 1958. Ford pitched 2 consecutive one-hit games in 1955 to tie a record held by several pitchers. He never pitched a no-hitter.
Ford最後從優異投手陣容中的第四號投手成為了洋基隊的第一號投手。他在緊張局面時仍然能保持冷靜並且指揮若定的能力，使他得到了"Chairman of the Board"的綽號。他同時因為在投手丘上的機智而被稱做"Slick"，雖然Ford並沒有過人的快速球，但是他的其他球種投的非常出色，並且具有優異的控球能力。在Ford的年代，他算是具有不錯三振能力的投手，曾經在1956年與1958年兩度創下追平當時美聯紀錄的連續三振六位打者。1955年球季，Ford曾連續投出兩場一安打比賽，這項紀錄目前由數位投手共同保持，Ford生涯從未投出過無安打比賽。
In 1955, Ford led the American League in complete games and games won; in 1956 in earned run average and winning percentage; in 1958, in earned run average; and in both 1961 and 1963, in games won and winning percentage. Ford won the Cy Young Award in 1961; he likely would have won the 1963 AL Cy Young, but this was before the institution of a separate award for each league, and Ford could not match Sandy Koufax's numbers for the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League. He would also have been a candidate in 1955, but this was before the award was created.
1995年球季，他的完投場次與勝投數皆為美國聯盟第一;1956年Ford則位居自責分率與勝率榜首;1958年再度在自責分率項目排名第一。1961年與1963年勝投數與勝率第一。Ford在1961年球季贏得賽揚獎，1963年他很有機會贏得美聯賽揚獎，但是當時此獎項尚未改為兩聯盟分別選出一人，且國家聯盟道奇隊的Sandy Koufax的成績較Ford更為優異。他在1955年的成績也足以獲得賽揚獎，但是當時此獎項尚未設立。
Some of Ford's totals were depressed by Yankees manager Casey Stengel who viewed Ford as his top pitching asset, and often reserved his ace left-hander for more formidable opponents such as the Tigers, Indians and White Sox. When he became manager in 1961, Ralph Houk promised Ford he would pitch every fourth day, regardless of opponent; after exceeding 30 starts only once in his nine seasons under Stengel, Ford had 39 in 1961. A career-best 25-4 record and the Cy Young Award ensued, but Ford's season was overshadowed by the home run battle between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. As a left-hander, Ford was also deft at keeping runners at their base: He set a record in 1961 by pitching 243 consecutive innings without allowing a stolen base.
若非將Ford視為頭號先發的洋基總教練Casey Stengel經常保留他的王牌左投用來面對如老虎，印第安人與白襪等較難纏的球隊，Ford的部分成績數據將會更為優異。1961年當Ralph Houk成為洋基總教練時，他承諾不論對手為哪支球隊，Ford都將每四天上場一次;在Stengel擔任總教練的九年期間，Ford只有一個球季先發超過30場比賽。1961年他先發了39場，也獲得了生涯最佳的25勝4敗成績，並贏得賽揚獎。但是Ford最輝煌的球季卻被Roger Maris與Mickey Mantle間的全壘打競賽奪去了光彩。身為一位左投手，Ford同樣善於看住壘上的跑者:他曾在1961年創下連續243局未被盜壘成功的紀錄。
At one point during the 1963 season, Ford pitched a shutout and announced he had given up smoking. He said, "My doctor told me that whenever I think of smoking, I should think of a bus starting up and blowing the exhaust in my face."
1963年球季間，Ford投出了一場完封，並且宣布他已經戒菸了。他說:「我的醫生告訴我，當我想抽菸時，我應該想到一輛正在發動的巴士朝著我臉上排放廢氣。」
Career Statistics
生涯成績
Ford won 236 games for New York (career 236-106), still a franchise record. Red Ruffing, the previous Yankee record-holder, still leads all Yankee right-handed pitchers, with 231 of his 273 career wins coming with the Yankees. Other Yankee pitchers have had more career wins (for example, Roger Clemens notched his 300th career victory as a Yankee), but amassed them for multiple franchises. David Wells tied Whitey Ford for 13th place in victories by a lefhander on August 26, 2007.
Ford為紐約洋基隊贏得了236場比賽(生涯236勝106敗)，仍然是洋基隊史的紀錄。前洋基隊紀錄保持人Red Ruffing仍保有洋基右投手最多勝紀錄，生涯273勝中有231勝是穿著洋基球衣時所獲得的。雖然其他的洋基投手生涯擁有更多場勝投(例如Roger Clemens就是在洋基隊贏得生涯300勝)，但是卻是效力數支球隊所累積的。David Wells在2007年8月26日追平Whitey Ford所保持的大聯盟左投手勝場數第13名。
Among pitchers with at least 300 career decisions, Ford ranks first with a winning percentage of .690, the all-time highest percentage in modern baseball history. (Pedro Martínez ranked ahead of him for most of his career, but slipped to .006 behind Ford by the end of the 2008 season.) Interestingly, Martinez is expected to join Ford in Cooperstown, as the only two Hall of Fame pitchers who were less than 6 feet tall.
生涯累積勝敗成績超過300場的投手中，Ford的.690勝率排名史上第一。(Pedro Martinez生涯大部分時間的勝率都超過Ford，但是在2008年球季結束時些微下滑，以.006落後Ford。)有趣地是，Martinez被預測未來將能與Ford一樣入選棒球名人堂，使兩人成為名人堂中唯二身高不到6呎的投手。
Ford's career winning percentage cannot be attributed solely to being on a good team: The Yankees were 1,486-1,027 during his 16 years; without his 236-106, they had 1,250 wins and 921 losses, for a won-loss percentage of .576. Ford was thus 114 percentage points higher than his team's record, independent of his record.
Ford的高勝率不能完全歸因於他待在一支好球隊中:在Ford的16年生涯中，洋基隊的戰績為1486勝1027敗;扣掉Ford的236勝106敗後為1250勝921敗，勝率.576。Ford的勝率高過球隊的勝率.114。
Ford's 2.75 earned run average is the lowest among starting pitchers whose careers began after the advent of the Live Ball Era in 1920. Ford's worst-ever ERA was 3.24. (Hoyt Wilhelm, primarily a reliever during his career, leads all post-1920 pitchers in ERA at 2.52.) Ford had 45 shutout victories in his career, including eight 1-0 wins.
Ford生涯的自責分率為2.75，這是先發投手自1920年以來的活球時代後最低的紀錄。Ford生涯中自責分率最糟的一年為3.24。(主要擔任後援投手的Hoyt Wilhelm生涯自責分率2.54則為1920年之後所有投手最低紀錄。)另外Ford一共投出了45場完封，其中包括了八場1:0的比賽。
World Series and All-Star games
世界大賽與明星賽
Ford's status on the Yankees was underscored by the World Series. Ford was New York's Game One pitcher in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964. In the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Stengel altered this strategy by holding Ford back until Game Three, a decision that angered Ford. The Yankees' ace won both his starts in Games Three and Six with complete-game shutouts, but was then unavailable to relieve in the last game of an unexpected Yankees loss, Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth winning the game—and the Series—for the Pirates. Ford always felt that had he been able to appear in three of the games instead of just two, the Yankees would have won. Upper management may have agreed: Stengel was fired following the Series.
Ford在洋基隊中的地位可以在世界大賽中一目了然。Ford是洋基隊在1955，1956，1957，1958，1961，1962，1963與1964年的第一戰先發投手。在1960年面對匹茲堡海盜的世界大賽系列賽中，總教練Stengel改變策略，一直到第三場比賽才派Ford出場，這個決定惹惱了Ford。這位洋基隊的王牌投手在第3與第6戰皆投出完封勝，但是卻無法在最後一場比賽上場救援，洋基隊也在九局下被Bill Mazeroski擊出再見全壘打而輸掉該場比賽與該系列賽。Ford一直覺得如果他能夠出賽三場而非兩場比賽，洋基應該能夠獲得冠軍。洋基高層似乎同意Ford的看法: Stengel在該系列賽結束後就被開除了。
For his career, Ford had 10 World Series victories, more than any other pitcher. Ford also leads all starters in World Series losses (8) and starts (22), as well as innings, hits, walks, and strikeouts. In 1961 he broke Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. (The record would eventually reach 33 2/3, and stood for four decades until Mariano Rivera broke it in 2000.) Ford won the 1961 World Series MVP. In addition to Yankee Stadium, Ford also pitched World Series games in seven other stadiums:
Ford生涯在世界大賽中獲得10勝，比大聯盟史上任何一位投手都多。Ford在世界大賽中的敗投(8)，先發場次(22)，投球局數，被安打數，保送與三振數同時也都是先發投手最多的紀錄。1961年他打破了由Babe Ruth所創下的季後賽連續29又2/3局無失分紀錄。(紀錄最後為33又2/3局，並且保持了40年直到2000年才被Mariano Rivera打破。)Ford贏得了1961年的世界大賽MVP。除了洋基球場外，Ford也曾在世界大賽中於以下七個球場上場投球:
- Ebbets Field (1953 and 1956)
- Milwaukee County Stadium (1957 and 1958)
- Forbes Field (1960)
- Crosley Field (1961)
- Candlestick Park (1962)
- Dodger Stadium (1963)
- Busch Stadium (1964)
Ford appeared on eight AL All-Star teams between 1954 and 1964. One NL batter who was always happy to see him was Willie Mays, who at one point had seven consecutive hits off Ford.
Ford在1954年到1964年間曾在明星賽登板8次。國聯打者Willie Mays總是很高興在明星賽中見到Whitey Ford，因為他在這段期間連續從Ford手中擊出七支安打。
Retirement
退休
Whitey Ford的16號背號於1974年被紐約洋基隊退休
Ford ended his career in declining health. In August 1966, he underwent surgery to correct a circulatory problem in his throwing shoulder. In May 1967, Ford lasted just one inning in what would be his final start, and he announced his retirement at the end of the month at age 40.
Ford因為日漸下滑的健康狀況而結束職業生涯。在1966年8月，他接受了右肩手術以治療血液循環的問題。1967年5月，當時40歲的Ford在他的生涯最後一場先發僅撐了一局就下場了，並且於5月底宣布退休。
Ford wore number 19 in his rookie season. Following his return from the army in 1953, he wore number 16 for the remainder of his career. He was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1974 with his longtime pal and Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle; at that time, the Yankees retired his number 16. On August 2, 1987, the Yankees dedicated plaques for Monument Park at Yankee Stadium for Ford and another left-handed pitcher who reached the Hall of Fame, Lefty Gomez; Ford's plaque calls him "[o]ne of the greatest pitchers ever to step on a mound."
Ford在新人球季所使用的背號為19號。當他在1953年從軍隊退役返回洋基隊時改穿16號球衣一直到退休。Ford於1974年與長期的老戰友Mickey Mantle一同入選棒球名人堂; 同一時間，洋基隊也將他的背號16號退休。1987年8月2日，洋基隊為Ford與另一位名人堂左投Lefty Gomez在洋基球場的紀念公園設立了紀念牌。Ford的紀念牌上寫著:"投手丘上的最佳投手之一"。
After his career ended, Ford admitted to occasionally cheating by doctoring baseballs in various ways, such as the "mudball," which could only be used at home in Yankee Stadium: Yankee groundskeepers would wet down an area near the catcher's box where Yankee catcher Elston Howard was positioned; pretending to lose balance on a pitch while in his crouch and landing on his right hand (with the ball in it), Howard would coat one side of the ball with mud. Ford would sometimes use the diamond in his wedding ring to gouge the ball, but he was eventually caught by an umpire and warned to stop; Howard then sharpened a buckle on his shinguard and used it to scuff the ball. In an interview at the last game at Yankee Stadium, Ford admitted to doctoring the ball in the 1962 All Star Game at Candlestick Park to strike out Willie Mays. Ford had a vested interest in doing so; Ford and Mantle had accumulated $800 in golf green fees, which the Yankees owner had agreed to cancel if Ford could strike out Mays.
在職業生涯結束後，Ford承認他偶爾會在比賽中利用各種方法作弊，例如只能在主場洋基球場使用的"泥巴球": 洋基球場的場地維護人員會將捕手蹲捕區附近的一個區域弄濕，洋基捕手Elston Howard在適當的位置假裝失去平衡，並且用拿著球的右手來撐住地面，並將球的一面沾上泥巴。Ford有時也會利用結婚戒指上的鑽石來刮傷球，最後被一位裁判發現，並且警告他停止這樣的行為; 此外Howard也會磨利護具的扣環，並用此來磨損球。在洋基球場最後一場比賽中，Ford接受訪問並且承認曾於燭台球場舉行的1962年明星賽中藉由破壞球來三振Willie Mays。他這麼做是由於他與Mantle欠了800美元的果嶺費，洋基的老闆答應只要Ford能夠三振Mays就能免付這筆錢。
In 1977, Ford was part of the broadcast team for the first game in Toronto Blue Jays history. [4] In 1999, Ford ranked 52nd on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2003, Ford was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. In 2008, Ford threw the first pitch at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. On September 21, 2008 Ford and Yogi Berra were guests of the broadcast team for the final game played at Yankee Stadium.
1997年Ford為多倫多藍鳥隊史上首場比賽的轉播團隊成員之一。1999年，Ford在Sporting News的大聯盟最佳球員清單中排名第52名，並且成為大聯盟世紀球隊提名人選之一。2003年，Ford入選拿索郡運動名人堂。2008年，Ford為大聯盟全明星賽開球。Ford與Yogi Berra同時為2008年9月21日洋基球場最後一場比賽的轉播團隊貴賓。
Tags: ford