Wenty Ford

Percival Edmund Wentworth Ford, Jr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.
• High School St. Augustine High School (Nassau)
• Debut September 10, 1973
• Final Game September 30, 1973
• Born November 25, 1946 in Nassau, Bahamas
• Died July 8, 1980 in Nassau, Bahamas

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Biographical Information

Wenty Ford is the only native of the Bahamas to pitch in the major leagues. He grew up playing cricket as well as baseball. Although he pitched a perfect game in Class A ball in 1967, he spent eight years as an unheralded farmhand, mainly because he was a soft tosser who relied on slow curves. Ford finally got to spend a month with the Atlanta Braves at the tail end of the 1973 season. In his big league debut on September 10th, Wenty pitched a complete game, beating Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants, 10-4.

After Ford's pro career ended in 1975, he went back home to Nassau, where he worked in a casino and also spent time coaching baseball and basketball. He managed the Bahamas national team to a surprising 3-5, 5th place finish in the 1979 Pan American Games, ahead of Canada, Mexico and Colombia and even with Venezuela. He was killed in an auto accident while coming home from his casino job in the small hours of the morning.

Wenty's brother, Eddie Ford, also played professional baseball. Two other brothers (Leighton Ford and Kevin Ford) played for the Bahamas national team he managed.

Related Sites

• Wenty Ford at the SABR Bio Project