Whitey Ford Field

Whitey Ford Field is a three-acre athletic facility in the Long Island City/Astoria area of western Queens. The field is named for Edward Charles 'Whitey' Ford, the legendary New York Yankees pitcher who grew up in the Astoria neighborhood and became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Ford was born in Manhattan but raised in Astoria, where he attended the New York School of Aviation Trades before being signed by the Yankees. He went on to win 236 games over a 16-year career (1950-1967), earning the nickname 'The Chairman of the Board' for his composed, masterful pitching style.

Ford holds numerous Yankees and World Series records, including the most consecutive scoreless innings pitched in World Series history (33 2/3 innings). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and remained connected to Astoria throughout his life.

The field features a baseball diamond and open athletic space serving the western Queens community. The facility supports youth baseball leagues that continue the tradition of neighborhood athletics that produced Ford and countless other New York athletes.

Whitey Ford Field honors a Queens native son who rose from Astoria's streets to Yankee Stadium and the Hall of Fame, inspiring generations of young athletes in the neighborhood where he first picked up a baseball.