Inside The Pinstripes

Mike Ford Draws Babe Ruth Comparison From Alex Rodriguez, Powers Yankees Past Red Sox

Mike Ford was compared to Babe Ruth by Alex Rodriguez on ESPN's broadcast Sunday night as the New York Yankees' slugger homered in a win over the Boston Red Sox

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — As Mike Ford trotted around the bases Sunday night, replays on ESPN's broadcast showed his booming two-run home run in slow motion.

As the first baseman unleashed a powerful swing, leaning back while sending the ball 421 into the right-field bleachers, Alex Rodriguez said the following:

"Mike Ford with a little bit of a Babe Ruth look!"

Perhaps comparing a player who had just hit the 14th home run of his career to The Sultan of Swat and his 714 homers is a bit of a stretch. Then again, when asked about the comparison after the game, Ford joked that it wasn't the first time he's been put in the same sentence as the Great Bambino. 

"Maybe as a joke here and there," Ford said. "We're both hefty guys, I guess, so the mold kind of fits there." 

Similar swings with similar body types? Here's a side-by-side comparison ESPN went on to air later in the game after Rodriguez's comment. 

Jokes aside, on Sunday night Ford did what Ruth was known for throughout his Hall of Fame career. The Yankees first baseman singlehandedly powered the Bombers past the Red Sox, accounting for three of the club's four runs. He drove in two on his second homer of the season along with an RBI single in the first frame.

Both run-scoring hits came on sinkers elevated in the strike zone from Boston's Chris Mazza. Following the 4-2 victory, Ford revealed hunting the heater was his plan all along.

"I'm just looking for a good pitch to hit," he said. "I've gotten out of my plan lately of hitting fastballs so tonight it was just hunting fastballs in the zone and trying to take good swings at it and simplify things."

READ: Yankees Place DJ LeMahieu on Injured List With Left Thumb Sprain, Recall Miguel Andújar

Ford was the star on offense Sunday night, but the last several days for New York have featured a passing of the baton of sorts between different players contributing in the wake of the Yankees' latest slate of injuries. 

With Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton each on the 10-Day Injured List, it's been Ford, Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman stepping up on offense in their place.

READ: As Aaron Judge Settles in For IL Stint, 'Resilient' Yankees Offense Returns to Next Man Up Mentality

Despite the barrage of injuries, impacting the club's biggest stars, New York has won five games in a row. Ford isn't surprised that he and his teammates have been able to fill big shoes and consistently put runs on the board.

"I just think we have a ton of depth," he said. "We have a lot of guys that can play elsewhere right now and help teams win. It's just nice when us fill-in guys can come up and have some success."

Manager Aaron Boone echoed a similar sentiment, recognizing the next man up mentality this club lived by a year ago is back in full force this summer. As for Ford, after his three-RBI night, Boone thinks the first baseman is only getting started offensively. 

"I feel like Ford is still working to get rolling here a little bit," Boone said. "He controls the strike zone and can hit the ball in the seats. You saw him do that tonight and that's what he's capable of."

READ: Yankees' Aroldis Chapman To Return Monday, Replacing 'Flourishing' Zack Britton in Closer Role

Ford is now hitting .194 (7-for-36) through the Yankees first 21 games. In his career, which has featured just 61 games played so far at the big-league level, the 28-year-old is hitting .246 (44-for-179).

He recognized he's got some ground to cover if he wants to catch up to Ruth, who hit .342 and had 2,873 hits in his 22-year career. 

"I've got a long way to go to be in that conversation," he said. "I appreciate the compliment and hopefully I can keep looking like it."

To keep up with all of Inside The Pinstripes’ coverage, click the "follow" button at the top right-hand corner of this page.

For more from Max Goodman, follow him on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. Follow ITP on Twitter @SI_Yankees and Facebook @SIYankees

Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

Home/News