Binghamton Baseball Shrine Member Whitey Ford Dies at 91

Whitey Ford, who pitched for the Binghamton Triplets before joining the New York Yankees has died at his Long Island home. He was 91.

Ford was only 20 years old when he pitched his first game from the Triplets at Johnson Field in June 1949. He made his major league debut with the Yankees the following year.

According to a statement released by the Yankees, Ford died Thursday night surrounded by family members as he watched the team's game against Tampa Bay.

Ford was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1974. He became a member of the Binghamton Baseball Shrine in 1995.

Ford was a frequent visitor to Red's Kettle Inn on CFJ Boulevard in Johnson City during the short time he pitched for the Triplets. The restaurant, which was a few blocks from Johnson Field, still has several photos of Ford prominently displayed.

Tony Sobiech, who owns Red's Kettle Inn with his mother, said on Friday he believed the last time Whitey Ford stopped in was in the late 1980s.