Yanks are Swishing back to their winning ways with 3-2 victory at stadium and Whitey

By Jose “Pepitone” Reyes

The Yanks break their mini three-game losing streak and in a dramatic fashion. It’s been a while since the Yanks had a walk-off homer. The blast by Swisher came as you see indicated in the image above, with 1 out and man on first. It wasn’t a typical pull job but Swisher made the best of the pitch thrown to him and went the opposite way. Joba won the game in relief  as Nova who started pitched very well also (6.0 Innings, 6 Hits, 2 Earned Runs and 6 SO).  A-Rod went 2 for 4 and Swisher did the same. Not so much of excitement during the game but the ending was made up for it. Yanks win 3-2. Box Score and Highlights .

Extra Story:

Whitey Ford was a real clutch pitcher and came through in the big games. If I were a betting man and there were online betting then, any game Whitey pitched would have helped me quite a bit. Take a look at his winning Pct. and his record in post season games, outstanding! I placed his website on the left sidebar if you are interested in more of this Yankee great.

From Whitey Ford’s website (Biography):

They called Ford “The Chairman of the Board” for good reason. He was for more than a decade the star pitcher of a team that operated with corporate efficiency, and his intelligence and confidence were on display whenever he was on the mound. In contrast to pitchers who dominated hitters with overpowering physical abilities, the 5’10″ 180-lb left hander controlled games with his mastery of the mental aspects of pitching and pinpoint control. Batters had to deal with his assortment of pitches: He mixed splendid changeups, marvelous curves, and a good fastball. He had one of the league’s best pickoff moves, and he was an excellent fielder. And, like most successful businessmen, he was at his best when the pressure was greatest.

His most eye-catching statistics are his consistency low ERAs and high winning percentages. In 11 of 16 seasons he was under a 3.00 ERA, and his worst was 3.24. His .690 winning percentage ranks first among modern pitchers with 200 or more wins. Of course, he benefited from strong Yankee bat support, defense, and relief pitching, but his winning percentage was usually higher than the team’s. He allowed an average of only 10.94 base runners per nine innings and posted 45 career shutouts, including eight 1-0 victories.

After joining the Yankees in mid-season 1950, he won nine straight before a home run by Philadelphia’s Sam Chapman gave him his only loss. In the World Series, he pitched 8-2/3 innings without allowing an earned run to win the fourth game of the Yankee sweep. He spent 1951 and 1952 in the service, but returned to post 18-6 and 16-8 marks in 1953 and 1954.

His 18-7 record in 1955 tied him for most AL wins. He led in complete games (18) and was second in ERA (2.63). The Sporting News named him to its annual ML all-star team. In the final month of the season, he pitched consecutive one-hitters. The following year he was even better, going 19-6, to lead the team. He won his second ERA crown in 1958 (2.01).

Through 1960, Yankee manager Casey Stengel limited Ford’s starts, often resting him at least four days between appearances, and saving him for more frequent use against better teams. In 1961 new manager Ralph Houk put him in a regular four-man rotation, and Ford led the AL in starts (39) and innings pitched (283) and earned the Cy Young Award with a 25-4 record, leading the ML in wins and percentage. Two years later, he again led in wins, percentage, starts, and innings pitched, with a 24-7 mark….Continue on his Website

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