ANAHEIM — It’s been a crazy year for first baseman Mike Ford, who has not only played for four Major League teams, but also four Triple-A clubs as well.
But Ford, who was called up by the Angels on Thursday, has made the most of his opportunity with his new club, as he homered for a second straight game in a 7-4 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday at Angel Stadium. Ford, who is in line to get regular playing time at first base down the stretch with Jared Walsh out for the season with thoracic outlet syndrome, is batting .364 (8-for-22) with two homers, two RBIs and two walks in six games with the Angels.
His stint has impressed interim manager Phil Nevin, who knows Ford well, as Ford played with the Yankees from 2019-21, when Nevin was New York’s third-base coach.
“He’s looked really good,” Nevin said. “He’s elevating the ball. That’s one thing when he got over here we talked about. He’s hit more balls in the air. The last two nights have been really good.”
But it was a long road for Ford to reach the Angels this season, as he’s been designated for assignment four times this year, including twice by the Mariners. His roller-coaster path to the Angels included stops at Triple-A Tacoma (Mariners organization), the Giants for one game, Triple-A Sacramento (Giants organization), the Mariners for a 16-game stretch, Triple-A Gwinnett (Braves organization), the Braves for five games and back to Gwinnett before he was released by Atlanta on Aug. 10.
Ford, 30, signed with the Angels as a Minor League free agent on Aug. 16 and played in six games with Triple-A Salt Lake before having his contract purchased by the Angels on Thursday, when Walsh was placed on the 60-day injured list. Ford has had two hits in four of the six games he’s played with the Angels, including on Monday and Tuesday against the Yankees.
“I’m just getting comfortable,” Ford said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve played three games in a row the last three years. Just getting the consistency and at-bats has helped me a bunch. It’s a very welcoming group. Just having Nev here, it’s very comfortable for me, knowing him prior. It’s been a great start and I hope to keep it going.”
Ford said he was also extra locked in against the Yankees, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton University in 2013. He also dealt with hecklers behind New York’s dugout on Monday and shushed them after he connected on a solo shot off right -hander Frankie Montas in a 4-3 win.
“It wasn’t to [the Yankees], it was to a fan group that was on me pretty good the whole game,” Ford said of his shushing motion on Monday. “It’s all fun and games, but I just had to give something back to the fan group. [But] it’s always a good feeling. I’m obviously a little more locked in. I’ve been putting some good swings out there.”
Ford’s second solo homer of the series came in the fifth inning on a 3-2 cutter from lefty reliever Lucas Luetge that he deposited over the right-center-field fence. Ford, a left-handed hitter, has actually fared well against lefties in his career, as eight of his 19 career blasts have come against southpaws. He has a career 1.002 OPS in 61 plate appearances against lefties, compared to a .662 OPS in 332 plate appearances against right-handers.
He also nearly connected on another homer in the seventh inning, only to see it fall just short, as he got under a 2-1 changeup from right-hander Ron Marinaccio just a bit too much and Aaron Judge made the catch in deep center field . But Nevin said it was still another promising sign from Ford, who had some success with the Yankees in ’19, when he slashed .259/.350/.559 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 50 games.
“He actually just missed that one in the seventh,” Nevin said. “He got the good part of the bat [on it], but was just under it a tick. I like his swings. It looks a lot like in ’19 when I was with New York and he had some big home runs for us. He’s getting a chance to play every day, too, which probably helps a guy who hasn’t had that opportunity.”
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