Floyd “Smoky” Ford

A former pitcher who played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in the late 1940s, Floyd ‘Smoky’ Ford was out of baseball for nearly thirty years when he offered to fill in as the coach of a Pratt youth team. That squad finished second in the 1978 Hap Dumont state tournament.

Not only did Ford continue coaching, his 1981 team won the Kansas Babe Ruth championship. That was followed by a run of Class AA American Legion titles in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987.  Ford’s 86ers won two more titles in 1998 and 1999 and were consistent state tournament participants in most years they did not win the title. His last 86ers team finished second in 2008.

In addition to the American Legion success, Ford was the driving force behind implementing baseball at Pratt High School in 1993.  As the Greenbacks’ first coach, Ford’s teams made five state appearances in his fourteen year tenure.  He was named 1996 4A Coach of the Year by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

In 31 years of coaching, Ford won 1235 games, while losing only 632.  His teams won seven state titles and produced three professional players.

Ford, originally from Isbel, died in 2011 at the age of 80.  His legacy lives on in Pratt, where the Smoky Ford Field hosts the annual Smoky Ford Invitational tournament.