It’s hard to imagine that 2020 could get any worse, but it has after losing some of the giants of the game. In a matter of weeks, it seems, we have lost Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Joe Morgan and longtime Yankees pitcher, Whitey Ford, the Chairman of the Board.
Ford died last week at the age of 91. The Hall of Famer was 236-106, a winning percentage of .690, over 16 seasons, and all of them were spent with the Yankees. He also was a 10-time all-star and pitched more than 3,000 innings with a career ERA of 2.75.
He was especially tough on the Twins, compiling a 32-10 record with a 2.62 ERA against the team, and was 13-3 against the Washington Senators as well, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
But on April 11, 1961, the opening day of baseball for the Yankees and the first game for a new franchise called the Twins, Ford lost. Twins pitcher, Pedro Ramos, pitched a complete game three-hitter to beat the Bronx Bombers, 6-0. Ford would get the last laugh, however. He beat the Twins in May, June and August of that year en route to a record of 25-4 and the Cy Young award.
Extra innings…
-Pitcher Ron Perranoski also died this month at 84. Although largely associated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Perranoski spent four seasons with the Twins, earning 31 saves for Billy Martin in 1969 and 34 in 1970.
He was called on to do a lot more than just relieve in a game on July 25, 1969 at Cleveland before only 8,900 fans. Perranoski was handed the ball in extra-innings, then he one-hit the Tribe over five-plus innings with six strikeouts to beat the Indians, 4-2, in 16 innings.
-And then there was this:
Back in the day, 16 time gold glove winner Jim Kaat would grab an infielder to make sure there wasn’t miscommunication ! Played for Phils, but now playing golf in Vermont! @masnOrioles
— Jim Palmer (@Jim22Palmer) August 12, 2020
283 wins besides being a great fielder.
— Ed D. Wilks 🇺🇸☘️💙🇺🇸 (@EdDWilks) August 12, 2020
Should be in the Hall.
— Jim Palmer (@Jim22Palmer) August 12, 2020