Call me Ed … for now, anyway

At the time, this left-hander is two weeks shy of his 22nd birthday and mostly known, at least nationally, by his first name of Ed.

Well, young Ed caps off his rookie season 74 years ago today with the first of his 22 World Series starts for the New York Yankees.

Does exceptionally well, too, as Ford – before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 68,098 at Yankee Stadium – holds the Phillies to two unearned runs into the ninth inning before Allie Reynolds strikes out pinch-hitter Stan Lopata for the final out of a 5-2 victory, completing the Yankees’ four-game sweep of Philadelphia’s beloved Whiz Kids.

The Game 4 victory is the only, if you will, lopsided game in a 1950 World Series that has a run differential of only six runs – the closest margin in a four-game sweep in Series history, a mark the Chicago White Sox later match in their 2005 Series sweep of the Houston Astros.

As for young Ed on this day in 1950, he allows only seven hits and a walk while striking out seven Phillies after going 9-1 for the Yankees in 20 appearances during the regular season.

The native New Yorker then misses the next two seasons to serve in the Army during the Korean War.

He returns in 1953 to the Yankees, starts going more his nickname and, for the next decade or so, Ford – now, please, call me “Whitey” – is one of the game’s most dominant pitchers.

By the time he pitches his last game for the Yankees in May 1967, Ford accumulates a record of 236-106 during the regular season with 10 more victories coming during his 11 trips to the World Series.

Oh, yeah, he enters the Hall of Fame in 1974 as part of a class that includes longtime Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle.