SLICK [Mass Market Paperback]

Whitey Ford (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hall of Famer Ford was the Yankee pitching ace in the 1950s and early 1960s, when the team frequently won the pennant. Raised in Queens, he was a quintessential New Yorker, and his well-publicized friendship with country boy Mickey Mantle made him seem the archetypal city slicker. Here he and New York Daily News columnist Pepe cover his diamond career, which was pretty much an uninterrupted triumph. Ford's lifetime winning percentage was .690, he played in 11 World Series and set the record for most consecutive scoreless innings in the series. There are also tales of his epoch-making carousing with Mantle and Billy Martin, his doctoring of baseballs and the greats he has known. Additionally, there is a warm introduction by pal Mantle. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Ford is the co-author with Mickey Mantle of Whitey and Mickey ( LJ 2/15/77), which told about their antics together on and off the field. This is Ford's autobiography, written 20 years after his retirement from baseball. Unlike The Mick (7/85), Mantle's autobiography, Ford's account of the same years is very low-key, downplaying all of the drinking and carousing that went on with Mantle and Billy Martin, the others in the "Unholy Trio of the Yankees." Sticking with anecdotes relating to the playing field, he does give a detailed account of how he had to resort to "cheating" (doctoring the ball) towards the end of his career and the decline of the Yankees in the 1960s. This is a smooth recounting of Ford's life in baseball. Jo DeLapo, Queens Lib., New York
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Dell (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044020108X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440201083
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,797,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Yankee Ace Embellishes Story of Baseball Career with Amusing Anecdotes, February 11, 2009

By 

Jinkyu - See all my reviews

This review is from: SLICK ----My Life In And Around Baseball (Paperback)

Whitey Ford knew how to win--as evidenced by his 236-106 lifetime record, giving him the best winning percentage for a modern day pitcher with more than 150 wins, and his extremely low lifetime 2.75 ERA. He won 10 more games in the World Series, with a slightly better ERA. The Yankee Hall-of-Fame pitching ace is a very savvy baseball person, so it is interesting to hear him relate the baseball side of his career, including his comments on each World Series victory. But Whitey to this day is also a fun-loving regular guy, and that is reflected in the prevailing aspect of "Slick," his easy-reading book: its great storytelling and humor.

During his career, Whitey was not a particularly colorful or controversial personality. He may not have had the most drinks at Toots Shor's, but he was still a big part of the party, with Billy Martin, Mickey Mantle, or whomever. Whitey tells of events such as the famous Copacabana incident and the Phil Linz harmonica incident. He tells us how he was always willing to engage in fun activities or make a fun bet, such as against Jackie Gleason in a pool match. He also made sure he won Giant owner Horace Stoneham's double-or-nothing wager: at stake were golf expenses he and Mantle had run up on Stoneham's tab. Stoneham said it would be even if Ford got nemesis Willie Mays out in the 1961 All-Star Game, so Ford struck out Mays by throwing a spitball. Whitey also tells about using mudballs and cutballs late in his career and devotes a chapter to discussing cheating -- honest confessions (but Ford points out that so many other pitchers cheated too). His storytelling can extend outside of baseball. Whitey tried to use his bonus money to purchase a radio/record player at a store, but the proprietors called the police, suspicious about why Whitey had so much cash, not knowing who he really was. After Ford's identity was verified, they tried to accept the cash... Sorry guys.

While Ford was competitive, he was never nasty or a prima donna, and that is part of his appeal. As Mickey Mantle relates in the preface, Whitey is very likable, always getting along with everyone. Interestingly, Ford remarks that he could never have been a manager because he could not be tough enough. In this vein, "Slick" is upbeat, with none of the bitterness typical of so many sports autobiographies. All baseball fans should enjoy it.

4.0 out of 5 stars A NICE READ FROM CHAIMAN OF THE BOARD, June 27, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Slick: My Life in and Around Baseball (Hardcover)

THIS IS THE STORY OF WHITEY FORD. IT IS VERY EASY READING AND ENJOYABLE BOOK. WHITEY DOESN'T GO INTO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT ALL THE DRINKING AND CAROUSING HE AND HIS BUDDIES (BILLY AND MICKEY) DID.
BUT HE HAS SEVERAL FUNNY STORIES. IT QUITE ENTERTAINING AND ENLIGHTENING. WHITEY TELLS ABOUT US WHAT HE HAD TO DO IN HIS LATER YEARS TO STAY HANG ON. HE GOES INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT SCUFFING THE BALL AND OTHER WAYS HE USED TO DOCTOR THE BALL. HE IS A GOOD STORY TELLER AND I RECOMMEND THIS ALL BASEBALL FANS.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slick My Life In and Around Baseball, October 27, 2000

By 

Lino (Fullerton, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SLICK (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book. I found this book interesting, funny, and informative. Most books I read seem to be dull and boring but this one was different. If you are a fan of baseball then i think you will enjoy reading this book. This book gives the point of view from a profesional baseball player and his expeirence of what goes on that people don't get to see pro athletes do and how they act. I would recomend this book to all readers because I think they would enjoy it as I did.