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New York Yankees: Creating an all-time starting lineup

By Michael Pallas

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 12: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees grounds out to the shortstop to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 12, 2016 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 12: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees grounds out to the shortstop to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 12, 2016 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images) /
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COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 22: Hall of Famer Whitey Ford looks on at Clark Sports Center during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 22, 2012 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 22: Hall of Famer Whitey Ford looks on at Clark Sports Center during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 22, 2012 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Frankly, there’s only one man who could be the ace of the staff in New York Yankees history. His name is Edward Charles Ford, better known by the name Whitey.

At the time of his retirement, he was the franchise leader in all major statistical categories for starting pitchers. He has since been passed by Andy Pettitte for career strikeouts. The Chairman of the Board, however, still leads the Yankees in all-time wins, ERA, and starts.

Ford won six World Series rings with the Bronx Bombers, finished in the top five in MVP voting twice, won a Cy Young Award, and a World Series MVP. When it comes to being among the best of his era, he tops that too. He’s one of only seven pitchers in MLB history to appear in at least 10 All-Star Games. Ford, fellow Yankee great Mariano Rivera, Tom Glavine, Tom Seaver, Juan Marichal, Steve Carlton, and Warren Spahn are the seven.

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Ford is not only one of the best Yankees pitcher ever, he’s among the best left-handed pitchers of all-time. Thus, he must be the ace of this staff. Keeping him off this team would be a travesty. No disrespect intended to Rivera, but this guy would have to pitch all nine innings too.

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