Being Canadian, admittedly I knew nothing about Wendell Ford, save for the basic info I included in my deadpool entry and the reason for which I chose him. He was a U.S. Senator and a Kentucky Governor, very lofty accomplishments. Yet, when asked what his greatest accomplishment was, Ford believed it was just the act of getting elected. I found the answer a bit puzzling, and one opinion piece I scanned on him gave only reserved praise while suggesting that he was merely mediocre. It also referenced a sordid past that included an alleged insurance scheme for which he was never charged.

Unsatisfied with my knowledge of the man, I read more. I learned that he had a distinct oratory style, one that commanded attention. One article suggested that his occasional nastiness came with a greater purpose. Another referred to a self-deprecating quote he gave in 1974, when, freshly elected to the Senate, he called himself "a dumb country boy with dirt between his toes."

His funeral drew 400 people, a large crowd for the average person, yet not the grandiose affair you might expect for a man who was a prolific public servant for decades. Attending his funeral was one of the United States's best-remembered Presidents, Bill Clinton, and possibly who will be one of its least-remembered Vice Presidents, current VP Joe Biden. It seems Wendell Ford was a man of contradictions. And I'm not sure I really know him any better.

What I do know is that Wendell Ford died on January 22, 2015, of lung cancer, at age 90. I, Allen Kirshner, get 2 points for the hit and 5 points for the solo, a total of 7 points.

--Allen Kirshner