Whitey Ford was posthumously inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame on Long Island, NY on July 11, 2025. IABHOF Founder Shaun Clancy presented Ford’s plaque to the the Ford Family. Shaun was joined by members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Irish Wolfhounds coach James Lally, IABS member Joe Maguire, and IABHOF LIfetime Achievement Award winner Buddy Corr.
The induction took place at Fairfield Properties Ballpark, home of the Long Island Ducks, prior to the Ducks’ Irish Heritage Night game.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Astoria, Queens, Ford made his home in Lake Success, NY and was a prominent resident of Long Island for many decades. The Irish American Baseball Society has traced Ford’s Irish ancestry back to his great-grandfather on his mother’s side, Daniel Skellie of Dublin, and his great-grandmother on his father’s side, Elizabeth Kane of County Kerry. Ford’s Irish roots also include his paternal great-great-grandparents, Bernard Wilson from Tipperary, and Ruth Monahan from Donegal.
Whitey Ford was a ten-time All-Star, Cy Young Award Winner, and the MVP of the 1961 World Series. He led the American League in wins three times and ERA twice. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1974.
“My dad was very aware of his Irish roots,” said Ford’s son, Ed, who was part of the ceremony. “He marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and he even visited Ireland. He would have been so proud of this honor.”
