Russ Ford
| Russ Ford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 25, 1883 Brandon, Manitoba | |
| Died: January 24, 1960 (aged 76) Rockingham, North Carolina | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 28, 1909, for the New York Highlanders | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 16, 1915, for the Buffalo Blues | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 99-71 |
| Earned run average | 2.59 |
| Strikeouts | 710 |
| Teams | |
Russell William Ford (April 25, 1883 – January 24, 1960) was a Major League Baseball pitcher during the dead-ball era of the early 1900s.
Emery Ball
Ford is best known as the creator of the "emery" or "scuff" ball, a pitch that was thrown with a ball that had been scuffed with a piece of emery. Ford came across the "scuff ball" by accident when playing for the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association in 1908.[1] When pitching under a grandstand due to rain, Ford accidentally threw a ball into a wooden upright, marking the surface.[1] Ford threw another pitch with the damaged ball, and noticed how it curved more than previous pitches.[1]
Ford won 26 games in his rookie season of 1910, becoming only the third player in major league history to win 20 games and strike out at least 200 batters in his first season (Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander are the others).
His pitch selection included the famed scuff/emery ball, a spitball, fastball, and knuckle ball.[2]
Hall of Fame
Ford was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 and into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2002.
Brother
Russ' brother, Gene Ford, also played in the major leagues. Gene pitched in seven games for the Detroit Tigers in 1905.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Dickson, Paul (1989). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary. United States: Facts on File. p. 147. ISBN 0816017417.
- ^ The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches. Bill James and Rob Neyer. 2004.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
- Biography at Mop Up Duty
- Russ Ford's biography at Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
- Russ Ford at Find a Grave
- 1883 births
- 1960 deaths
- Atlanta Crackers players
- Baseball people from Manitoba
- Buffalo Buffeds players
- Buffalo Blues players
- Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
- Cedar Rapids Rabbits players
- Denver Bears players
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Major League Baseball players from Canada
- New York Highlanders players
- New York Yankees players
- Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball coaches
- Sportspeople from Brandon, Manitoba
- Jersey City Skeeters players
- Toledo Iron Men players