Whitey Ford, Hall of Famer, dies at 91
Whitey Ford, the streetsmart New Yorker who had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century and helped the Yankees become baseball’s perennial champions in the 1950s and ’60s, died Thursday night. He was 91.
The team said the Hall of Famer died at his Long Island home in Lake Success, New York, while watching the Yankees in a playoff game. His wife of 69 years, Joan, and family members were with him.
Ford had suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.
The wily left- hander played in the majors from 1950- 67, all with the Yankees. He won a Yankees-record 236 games and lost just 106, a winning percentage of .690.
Tennis
NO. 1 DJOKOVIC ESCAPES IN 5, WILL FACE NO. 2 NADAL IN FINAL >> Novak Djokovic held off the much younger, much less accomplished Stefanos Tsitsipas 6- 3, 6-2, 5-7, 4- 6, 6-1 to reach his fifth French Open title match at Roland Garros.
Standing in the way of No. 1 Djokovic on Sunday at Court Philippe Chatier will be No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who defeated 12th-seeded Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3, 7- 6 (0).
It will be the 56th meeting between Djokovic and Nadal, the most between two men in the professional era (Djokovic leads 29-26), 16th at a major ( Nadal leads 9- 6) and eighth at the French Open ( Nadal leads 6-1).
College basketball
WICHITA STATE INVESTIGATING MEN’S COACH >> Wichita State University is conducting an internal investigation into allegations that men’s basketball coach Gregg Marshall mistreated players, the school and Marshall have confirmed.
Stadium said the inquiry began after the university learned it was conducting an investigation in which it interviewed 36 players and former coaches.
Former Wichita State forward Shaq Morris told Stadium he was punched twice by Marshall, the school’s all- time winningest coach, during an October 2015 practice, and former guard Ty Taylor said he saw it happen.
They were the only players who agreed to be identified.