They called Whitey Ford "The Chairman of the Board" for good reason. He was for more than a decade the star pitcher of a Yankees team that operated with corporate efficiency, and his intelligence and confidence were on display whenever he was on the mound. And, like most successful businessmen, he was at his best when the pressure was greatest. “I don’t care what the situation was, how high the stakes were – the bases could be loaded and the pennant riding on every pitch, it never bothered Whitey,” said Mickey Mantle, who along with Ford and Yogi Berra powered Yankee Dynasty III that produced 14 American League pennants and nine World Series titles from 1949-64. “He pitched his game.” When he retired before the 1968 season, Ford’s final mark was 236-106 – good for an unbelievable .690 winning percentage that is the best among modern pitchers with at least 150 victories.
To our knowledge there exist only three career contemporary White Ford game worn Yankees jerseys in totally original, unaltered condition. Although Ford retired prior to the 1968 regular season, the offered jersey was issued for his use that year. The grey 1968 Whitey Ford New York Yankees road flannel jersey is 100% original and unaltered, remaining in superb condition, including the “NEW YORK” lettering on front, #16 on reverse and chain stitched "Ford" nameplate in the collar. Wilson "1968 Set 1" dual tagging is undisturbed on the front tail. It has been autographed on the lower front tail in slightly faded blue marker. The jersey shows light wear most likely resulting from use by Ford during spring training. An accompanying letter of provenance from renowned hobbyist and Casey Stengel’s former business manager Bob Case states that this jersey was given to Case at spring training in 1969 from famed Yankees equipment manager Pete Sheehy. Possessing ideal display quality, this original Ford Yankees jersey will sufficiently fill a huge hole in most HOFer jersey collections for significantly less than the six figure price of a career contemporary example.
LOA from Bob Case.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the Newport Sports Museum.