PHOENIX — Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford was 7 years old when Vance Worley made his major league debut, as a relief pitcher, for the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2010.
Nearly 13 years later, Ford and Worley teamed up for a historic night for Great Britain in its debut in the World Baseball Classic — against an All-Star lineup from Team USA lineup, no less, on Saturday night at Chase Field.
Ford, just a few weeks after his 20th birthday, batted cleanup for Great Britain and took charge behind the plate, calling pitches for Worley and the rest of the pitching staff in a surprisingly competitive game. Team USA held on for a 6-2 victory over Great Britain (before USA was upset by Mexico 11-5 on Sunday night).
On Sunday, Ford again started at catcher and hit cleanup, belting a three-run home run in the fourth inning of an 18-8 loss to Canada and becoming the youngest player ever to homer in a WBC game (20 years, 19 days old).
When Ford reached the dugout, teammates adorned him with a crown and a robe.
Just as notable, Ford drew strong reviews from teammates and coaches for his handling of pitchers.
“He’s very mature,” said the 35-year-old Worley, who made 163 appearances across nine major league seasons from 2010-17. “His willingness to want to learn has been great … and he grasps it very well. He belongs. He’s got all the tools to be here.”
Worley ended up shaking off just few of Ford’s pitch calls during his start.
“We let him call the game, and he did a fantastic job,” Great Britain manager Drew Spencer said Saturday night. “What’s great is he’s 20 years old, but his preparation is like someone who has been playing the game for a decade.
“He showed up the first night of camp. A lot of people would have wanted to go to bed. He wanted to go through notes. He wanted to go through it all. And he’s taken it upon himself to go meet with all the pitchers and talk about what they want to do and how they’re going to attack everybody. He’s as prepared as anybody I’ve ever seen.”