Ex-Yankee manager Virdon dead at 90
PITTSBURGH — Bill Virdon, the steady center fielder who won the 1955 National League Rookie of the Year for St. Louis and managed the Yankees from 1974-75, has died. He was 90.
Virdon died at the Lester E. Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri, according to Virdon’s wife Shirley. No cause of death was given.
Virdon was a career .267 hitter in 12 seasons with St. Louis and Pittsburgh, winning a World Series in 1960 with the Pirates and a Gold Glove in 1962. He retired for good in 1968 and went into coaching, going 995-921 during a 13-year managerial career that featured stints with the Pirates, Yankees, Astros and Expos.
He surprisingly found himself as the manager of the Yankees in 1974 after American League president Joe Cronin nixed the club’s attempt to sign Dick Williams from the Athletics. Virdon led the Yankees to a second-place finish behind Baltimore in 1974 but found himself out of a job by the middle of 1975 when Billy Martin was hired.
His greatest success came during an eight-year run with the Astros from 1975-82, when he led the franchise to its first two postseason appearances, both ending with fivegame losses. Houston lost to Philadelphia in the 1980 NL Championship Series and to the Dodgers in an NL Division Series prompted by the 1981 players’ strike.
Virdon remains Houston’s career wins leader as a manager (544). He was voted NL Manager of the Year in 1980 after guiding the Astros to the NL West title, one they secured after defeating the Dodgers in a one-game playoff.
“His impact on the Astros organization will never be forgotten,” the Astros said in a statement. “He was respected throughout baseball for his intensity and knowledge of the game.”
Virdon was signed by the Yankees in 1950 and traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in April 1954 in a deal that sent star outfielder Enos Slaughter to New York.
The left-handed-hitting Virdon reached the majors in 1955. Taking over for Hall of Famer Stan Musial in center, Virdon hit .281 with 17 home runs and 68 RBIs while serving as one of the few bright spots for a team that finished next to last in the NL.
The Cardinals dealt Virdon to Pittsburgh in May 1955, and he flourished. By the time 1960 arrived, the Pirates’ fortunes had turned thanks in part to an outfield that included Virdon in center field and Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in right.
Pittsburgh reached the 1960 World Series and Virdon played a key role in the Pirates’ stunning upset of the Yankees. Virdon hit .241 in the seven-game series, including a pair of hits in Game 7. His sharp single to shortstop in the seventh inning helped the Pirates rally after falling behind 7-4.