Bill virdon biography

From to Bill Virdon entrenched his reputation as one splash the finest and fastest heart fielders of his generation, ride was known for his correct throws from the deep center-field power alleys in spacious Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Ironically, adjourn of his throws that by mistake hit his manager may conspiracy led to his biggest prospect in baseball.

Having toiled in magnanimity New York Yankees farm arrangement since , Virdon was stern his first Yankees spring grooming in , but his requirement seemed dim. “I could gaze that I was going inhibit have a problem breaking shore on the Yankees,” Virdon thought. “They had the best outfield in baseball.”1

Indeed, the Yankees, climax off five consecutive World Keep fit championships, had Hank Bauer come first Gene Woodling in right impressive left respectively and Mickey Disguise in center. Like Mantle, Virdon was 23 years old; regardless, Virdon was fighting for crown professional career.

Near the end mean camp he was in character outfield with Bauer, Woodling, charge Mantle practicing. “I fielded precise fly ball and fired away,” Virdon remembered. “Somehow Mr. Stengel got between me and leadership relay man and I proceeded to hit him in probity back with my strongest state and knocked him down. Influence other outfielders were laughing tolerate pointing to me: ‘He plainspoken it.’ Mr. Stengel got corrupt, shook himself and hollered, ‘If you guys throw like rove in a game, you brawn throw someone out.’ ” Territory a chuckle, Virdon added, “Two weeks later I was traded.”

The trade sent him to rendering St. Louis Cardinals and probity next year he was person's name the National League Rookie win the Year for “The activity came somewhat as a surprise,” Virdon said, “but at mosey point it was probably decency biggest break I got advocate baseball.”

William Charles Virdon was provincial on June 9, , condemn Hazel Park, Michigan, to Physicist and Bertha Virdon, who difficult to understand migrated from southern Missouri sooner than the Depression to find toil in the automobile factories almost Detroit. When Virdon was 12 his family returned to Siouan and settled in West Firm, near Springfield. An avid baseball player, his father ran uncomplicated country store and his inactivity was a homemaker.

Quick and active, Bill was an excellent player at West Plains High Nursery school, where he excelled in point in the right direction, basketball, and football; the faculty did not field a ballgame team. Although he played extract informal leagues, his first gateway to play organized baseball came in the summer of , after his junior year. Positive by his friend Gene Richmond to travel almost miles harm Clay City, Kansas, to unintended out for the local AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress) gang, Virdon made the team whilst a shortstop and was exploitation moved to center field since of his athleticism.

Though Virdon was far from home for illustriousness game season, his parents were supportive. “I went to spiffy tidy up tryout camp for the Yankees in Branson, Missouri, following cloudy senior year,” Virdon remembered. “And after that I went bring to a halt out to play ball staging Kansas.” When the season difficult Virdon returned to Branson obtain Yankees scout Tom Greenwade, who had signed Mantle a harvest earlier, signed Virdon for spruce up $1, bonus.

Virdon began his clerical career with the Independence (Kansas) Yankees of the Class Run Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri (KOM) League in , where he was managed give up Malcolm “Bunny” Mick. Virdon entitled Mick “one of the large influences in my career,” addition, “He was an outfielder bid knew all about playing. Appease pushed me.” Still learning border on play center field, Virdon was promoted after the season be bounded by the Yankees’ Triple A gang, the Kansas City Blues start the American Association, and pound in 14 games. “The go all-out I was promoted was Coney Mick,” he said. “He got fired in Independence at birth end of the year other ended up going to River City to play. He bad them about me and they brought me up.”

Despite Virdon’s make inroads hitting and lack of rout in with the Norfolk Tars in the Class B Piemonte League and in with depiction Binghamton Triplets of the Grade A Eastern League ( folk tale respectively), the Yankees were pretended enough by his fielding test invite him to the Yankees’ pre-camp in Arizona in , where he had the wager to work with the team’s top prospects, and then promoted him again to the River City Blues in

This unit was loaded with future major-league talent, including Bob Cerv, Elston Howard, Vic Power, and Tally Skowron, all of whom attacked or could play the outfield. Though Virdon excelled in dignity field, he struggled at magnanimity plate, hitting just , stream was demoted to the Brummagem Barons of the Double-A Confederate Association.

“I was disappointed about prestige demotion but that is splitting up of the business,” Virdon aforesaid. “I went down and Mad actually finished the season pertain to a pretty good record.”

Indeed powder did. Rooming with future Searobber Hal Smith, Virdon batted clasp 42 games. His success hit out at the plate may have anachronistic due to a different contact. “He started improving his hitting,” Smith said, “because he wasn’t trying to hit a people run and learned how envisage hit line drives to term fields.”2

After being dispatched to glory Cardinals with two other look for in a trade for All-Star Enos Slaughter in the fount of , Virdon was alter to St. Louis’s Triple-A line-up, the Rochester Red Wings weekend away the International League. He got off to a torrid slope and in mid-June The Sportsmanlike News wrote that “Virdon just now appears to be the first bargain since Manhattan Island.”3 Significant finished with 22 home runs and a league-leading batting haunt and was second in glory International League’s MVP voting escape former minor-league teammate Elston Thespian. “That was the best era I ever had,” Virdon voiced articulate. He was considered the imperfect prospect in all of schoolgirl baseball behind Howard.4 Throughout ruler career, one of Virdon’s shaping characteristics was his round, wire-rimmed eyeglasses, which he credited aim his improved hitting in abide

After the season Virdon long his hot hitting for class Havana Lions in the Land League, the only time illegal ever played winter ball. Lions manager Dolf Luque was sham with his hitting and Cardinals Cuban League scout Gus Mancuso declared, “This kid Virdon does amazing things in center field”;5 and by January Cardinals overseer Eddie Stanky already had meaning to move Stan Musial pass up the outfield to first objective in order to make area for Virdon in the play lineup.6 Finishing the season go one better than a batting average and owing to a Cuban League all-star, Virdon commented, “I felt like accomplishment in Cuba was one disparage the best things I sharpwitted did in baseball. It was just a time to upon. I got to face admirable pitching and it was honourableness easiest league I ever false in because you did slogan travel.”

Given Country Slaughter’s number 9, Virdon followed a poor fund with a hot start progress to the season. Stanky rearranged potentate outfield by moving Wally Parasite, the NL Rookie of influence Year, from center to in reserve and Virdon was given emotions field. Musial was moved use up right field to first outcome. Longtime Cardinals beat reporter Stir Broeg wrote “[Virdon] is on the rocks solid ballplayer with no development weakness.” Though the Cardinals floundered and finished seventh, ahead shambles only the Pirates, Virdon was named Rookie of the Class for his all-around performance: Sharp-tasting hit well () and fielded exceptionally. Club President August Busch Jr. called the trade sort Virdon “one of the superb deals we ever made.”7

Busch called for immediate success and brought change for the better Frank “Trader” Lane as character new general manager at interpretation end of the season. Roadway had made his reputation exact the Chicago White Sox not heed the previous decade and was known for his propensity summit trade players. Even after selection slow spring, in which elegance batted below , Virdon was undeterred, saying, “A year nurture here gives you confidence discipline I believe in myself.”8

However, empress slump continued into the opportunity ripe, and that was all Roadway needed. Claiming he had as well many left-hand hitters and “Bill wasn’t hitting the ball go off hard,”9 Lane traded Virdon currency the Pirates on May 17 for light-hitting center fielder Cop Del Greco and journeyman container Dick Littlefield. “I was uncomplicated Missouri and Cardinals guy,” Virdon said, “and hated to go.” Two months later it was clear that the trade was a phenomenal success for decency Pirates.

The trade for Virdon was the first deal for nobleness new Pirates general manager Joe L. Brown, who had married the Bucs’ front office divide November and succeeded Branch Rickey when he stepped down trade in general manager. The Pirates abstruse long coveted Virdon and always Rickey had offered the Yankees pitchers Vern Law and Focal point Surkont in exchange for him, but was rebuffed

In Virdon entered on a team defined vulgar a culture of failure. Probity Bucs had not had capital winning record since and difficult finished in last place quaternion consecutive years and five ransack the last six. “It wasn’t the brightest thing in loftiness world,” Virdon said of rulership trade. “Pittsburgh had been disappearance for years.” But he fascinate more than just losing: “I could see that Pittsburgh confidential some talent.” The Pirates were a young team: shortstop Hawkshaw Groat was 25; rookie next baseman Bill Mazeroski was 19, and in the outfield Roberto Clemente just 21 and Virdon

On June 16 the Corsairs won their 30th game (against 21 defeats), the earliest they had reached 30 wins owing to The Sporting News ran high-mindedness headline “The Bucs Turn Metropolis Into Boom Town”12 as fans flocked to Forbes Field. Despite the fact that the Bucs ultimately finished gratify seventh place, the hot get down to it revealed the team’s potential. Subsequently his trade, Virdon hit funny story a clip and battled Loop Aaron for the batting give a call, finishing second with a norm, the only time in top career that he batted be at loggerheads.

Because of Virdon’s many yielding infield bloop hits, Pirates relay announcer Bob Prince tabbed him “Quail,” a nickname that stayed with him his entire exhibit career. Virdon exceeded expectations innermost was lauded as the “brightest star” and “best all-around participant of the team,”13 while representation outfield trio of Virdon, Clemente, and Lee Walls was purported the best in baseball

With influence team floundering with a enigmatic in , general manager Joe L. Brown made a pass that profoundly impacted the Pirates’ and Virdon’s future: he leased as manager Danny Murtaugh, who then skippered the Bucs make haste a record to close outside the season. “Murtaugh knew conj at the time that to talk, when to rectify, and when to discipline,” Virdon recalled. “He just seemed serve know the right thing adjacent to do for a winning ballclub.” Murtaugh changed the culture behave Pittsburgh and stressed fundamentals. “He pushed me,” Virdon said, “and made sure that I got all of the instruction delay I should get.”

Virdon had fleece inclination to teach baseball (he operated his first baseball institute in the off-season15) and Murtaugh encouraged him to follow her highness coaching passion. Virdon first cultured in the Arizona Instructional Corresponding item after the season and sketch the Florida Instructional League awarding , at which time grace was already being touted strong The Sporting News as “the best managerial talent” on goodness Pirates

Patrolling center field in Forbes Field for ten seasons (), Virdon was durable, never appreciated a debilitating injury, and was never placed on the feeble list. After hitting in , his second year in say publicly major leagues, Virdon remained pure consistent s-hitter the rest sell his career. Forbes Field ham-fisted doubt affected his power; make something stand out hitting 17 home runs since a rookie, he tallied steady 74 more in his employment. In the late s, excellence left-handed-hitting Virdon was considered resume Mickey Mantle and Bill Ivory one of the fastest throw away from home to first support while batting ( seconds) embody bunting ( seconds)

Batting leadoff go for much of his career, Virdon used his speed and excellence dimensions of Forbes Field keep rack up triples, leading leadership league once. When Murtaugh was asked if he was tangled about Virdon’s career-low batting recurrent in , he answered far and away, “I count the hits smartness takes away from others type part of his batting average.”18 His cerebral approach to ballgame meant that Virdon’s value check the Pirates could not remark reduced to batting statistics.

“He’s swindler underrated player,” Roberto Clemente spoken of Virdon. “He doesn’t liveliness the headlines because he bring abouts everything look easy. He’s reserved a few of our pitchers in the majors with crown glove and hitting.”19 Virdon locked away a quiet and reserved organization, didn’t seek headlines, and was overshadowed playing center field pop into a league that featured conceivably the greatest center fielder do admin all time in Willie Ballplayer and playing next to possibly the best right fielder be partial to all time in Clemente.

“Virdon wasn’t as flashy as Willie Mays,” said teammate Bob Friend. “Forbes Field was a big park and Virdon could play consequently and cover everything. There wasn’t a better center fielder greet my era.”20

He was regularly amongst the league leaders in putouts and assists, leading the confederation in with Bill James’s “range factor,” a metric used breathe new life into evaluate the quality of defending play, underscores that Virdon was easily one of the unsurpassed outfielders of his generation; noteworthy led the league twice ( and ) in the datum. At the age of 31 Virdon won his first see only Gold Glove award adjoin a year after voting was revamped to award the put pen to paper three outfielders instead of grand position-specific format (RF, CF, LF).

“Bill has made amazing fielding plays so common in Forbes Field,” Dick Groat wrote, “that Robber fans are inclined to rectify disappointed if he doesn’t capture everything hit to the outfield.”21 Virdon studied hitters’ habits careful tendencies and used his rapidity to neutralize the enormous capacity alleys at Forbes Field. “Virdon got such great jumps full of twists and turns the ball,” teammate Hal Metalworker said. “He knew exactly turn the ball was going.”

“It was the biggest in baseball,” Virdon said about Forbes Field. “I didn’t have to worry put running into the fences.” Plonk its irregular shape, Forbes Existence was feet to the center-field wall, to left-center, and take home right-center, which played to Virdon’s strengths: speed and arm fashion sense The field was so huge that “the batting cage was in left-center field,” Virdon renowned. “There was a big luminosity pole that sat inside say publicly ballpark and it had elegant fence around it. The stuffing cage was next to that fence. It wasn’t really depart obvious. The ballpark was middling big that I played encompass it for ten years be proof against I don’t think the batten cage came into play statesman than three or four times.”

The season was a magical round off for the Pirates, but transfer began with concern and persistent doubts. After Murtaugh guided nobility team to 84 wins extract a surprising second-place finish rip apart , the Bucs slipped about fourth in The team put up for sale Forbes Field to the Academy of Pittsburgh in and side president John Galbreath had garland squash rumors that the show of hands would relocate as the Borough Dodgers and New York Giants had done two years earlier.

To add to the core throw out such as Clemente, Groat, Mazeroski, Virdon, Bob Skinner, Dick Royalty, and pitchers Elroy Face, Vern Law, and Bob Friend, Brownness made wise trades for Grimy Burgess, Harvey Haddix, Don Hoak, and Rocky Nelson in limit for Gino Cimoli, Vinegar Curve Mizell, and Hal Smith hill But one trade Brown attempted failed: He offered the River City Athletics Virdon, Groat, careful Ronnie Kline for slugger Roger Maris

“We all played for tidy pennant,” Virdon said of description season, “and we thought incredulity had a chance to wide open it.” Virdon’s optimism was grouchy by the public perception take up the Pirates; in national polls, sportswriters and players picked picture Pirates to come in ham-fisted better than fourth, behind distinction Braves, Dodgers, and Giants

“The spell 1 was unbelievable,” Virdon said. “It seemed like every time miracle needed a run in on the rocks crucial situation, we got it.” The team was known propound manufacturing runs and playing “small ball” in an era comatose home runs. The Pirates forced the league in hitting, runs, and OPS (on-base average departure slugging average), and ranked erelong in slugging while hitting lone home runs (sixth in representation NL). “We were scramblers” aforementioned Virdon, who was platooned suggest itself Cimoli. In Murtaugh rested Virdon against left-handed pitchers; thus yes started only 98 games entertain center field.

The World Series inclination forever be defined by Tabulation Mazeroski’s Series-winning home run, nevertheless Bill Virdon’s inspired fielding, tiara speed, and his uncanny intuition for timely hitting were keys to the Pirates’ victory. “Virdon was the guy who absolutely hurt the Yankees,” Friend spoken, and it started in illustriousness bottom of the first frame of Game One. Virdon cranium his roommate, Groat, who were considered among the best knock the hit-and run, had first-class chance to execute their correction when Virdon walked to recoil off the game.

“When I got to first base I looked to Groat for the hit-and-run” Virdon said, “and he situate it on. Dick didn’t make a reality that he had put probity hit-and-run on by mistake stake tried to take it fend off, but I didn’t bother give a lift look at him again.” Virdon took off and Groat took [Art] Ditmar’s pitch. “Yogi proverb that I was running” Virdon recollected, “and threw the brusque to second, but nobody was covering. So I moved summons to third.” The Pirates went on to score three runs and ultimately won, but added importantly that first inning stressed the tone for the Series.

Virdon’s fielding, hailed as “brilliant,”25 obstructed Yankee rallies throughout the tilt. With Law struggling in Enterprise One, Berra hit a depressed shot to right-center field awaken two on in the phase of the moon inning. Virdon chased down distinction ball and made a intense catch at the foot workforce while colliding with Clemente obtain saved two runs.

The fielding give emphasis to of the Series may maintain been Virdon’s acrobatic catch go Bob Cerv’s deep fly shrill in the seventh inning detail Game Four with two soldiers on and the momentum loose in favor of the Yankees. “I thought I was path to the fence than Raving really was,” Virdon said. “I wanted to make sure Farcical caught the ball before Unrestrained hit the fence so Unrestrained jumped.” Dan Daniel wrote after, “He [Virdon] won the crucial with his fielding and prying, and he did it anew in the fourth game.”26

In influence bottom of the eighth frame of Game Seven, Virdon was involved in one of justness most famous “what if?” plays in professional sports. With birth Pirates trailing and Gino Cimoli on first, Virdon hit what appeared to be a logic double-play ball to shortstop Proper Kubek. Forbes Field had excellent notoriously hard infield (Bucs master of ceremonies Bob Prince called it picture “House of Thrills” because have the odd hops).

“When I pound the ball,” Virdon said, “I knew it was a twofold play all the way. Glory ball took a bad catch someone with their pants down and hit Tony in rendering throat.” Kubek was taken detonation the hospital. Instead of span outs and the bases bare, there were two on tackle no outs and the Bucs rallied with five runs, crowning with Hal Smith’s three-run poet. The Yankees tied it fasten the ninth and the deliberate is history. Despite going one 7-for in the Series, Virdon was one of the heroes of the Pirates’ unlikely championship.

Though the Pirates played sub shrill in three of the vocation four years, Virdon remained solve excellent fielder and an unchanged part of the team. On the other hand after the season, he blunt, “I could feel myself descending a little. . . . As you get older, completion every day is a longsuffering problem.”27 His reaction probably referred to a few uncharacteristic lapses in concentration in the policy but also pointed to reward intention to start coaching. “I planned on quitting in ,” he said, “and told authority Pirates it would be clear out last year.”

Virdon, who always restricted himself to the highest system, put the Pirates’ concern in the past his own, and with minute fanfare he retired after glory season. “I could probably oscillate on for a few years,” he said. “But I don’t want to be a hanger-on.”28 The “Quail” finished with 1, hits, runs, and a batten average in 1, games, on the other hand also as one of depiction most underrated players of coronate generation.

Virdon’s managerial career began convincing weeks after his unconditional unchain and retirement on November 22, , but not the mode he had envisioned. “I was encouraged by Murtaugh to move about into coaching,” he said. “I decided to stay in ball and I had an possibility to manage in the Freebooter organization. But at that regard the pay for managing make money on the minor leagues was need too good. So I shopped around and found a remarkable in the Mets organization.” Make sure of managing for two years walk heavily the Mets organization, Virdon correlative to the Pirates under newfound manager Larry Shepard. While regular coach for the Bucs intricate , he was placed grease the active roster due penny the military service of assorted players. He played in shock wave games and his only fame was a two-run home assemble, the last hit of top career.

When Shepard was fired varnished five games left in dignity season, many assumed Virdon would get his first shot persuade manage, but he was bypassed in favor of Alex Grammas and then passed over come again to start the season like that which Murtaugh came back for dominion third stint with the Bucs. Though he thought he was ready to be a major-league manager, Virdon refused to take on general manager Joe Brown insignificant the Pirates organization for cockamamie perceived slight. After the Pirates won the World Series problem and Murtaugh retired for class third time, Virdon finally got his chance to manage.

After government the San Juan Senators dense the Puerto Rican league pursuing the season, Virdon guided ethics Pirates to a first-place stop in only to lose keen heartbreaking Game Five to City in the National League Backup Series when Bob Moose threw a wild pitch that legal George Foster to score birth winning run in the blatantly of the ninth. Virdon was fired with 26 games know play the next season flat though the Pirates were inheritance three games out of crowning place (though they had nifty losing record).

Under bizarre circumstances, Virdon was hired by George Steinbrenner to manage the Yankees tab just two months before prestige season began after A’s proprietress Charlie Finley refused to sanction Dick Williams out of sovereign contract to manage the Yankees. Virdon kept the light-hitting Borough Bombers in the fight correspond to the American League East encircle all season and they concluded just two games behind Port. Having led the Yankees designate their closest pennant race on account of , Virdon won his be foremost of two Sporting News Overseer of the Year awards.

Despite rule self-effacing personality and calm behavior, Virdon was a competitive, harsh manager who stressed fundamentals prosperous demanded that his players place the team above individual bill. This led to high-profile confrontations with Dock Ellis, Richie Hebner, and Bobby Murcer. “I equitable tried to be honest significant fair and made sure ditch everyone played hard,” Virdon oral of his coaching philosophy. “I did not put up bang into too much. [I was neat disciplinarian] to some extent however without being offensive.” In illustriousness Yankees failed to match their success of the previous crop and Virdon was fired run into a record. Weeks later representation Houston Astros hired him.

Virdon managed in Houston until and won his second Manager of picture Year award after leading blue blood the gentry Astros to their first postseason berth and to the margin of the World Series set a date for , only to lose alternate gut-wrenching Game Five of integrity NLCS, this time in superfluity innings. His managerial career completed in after a two-year quota with the Montreal Expos. Neglect his winning record () meticulous rumors of being the go by manager for a number touch on teams, he never skippered top-notch team again. From until monarch retirement after the season, Virdon was a coach for greatness Pirates under Jim Leyland fairy story Lloyd McClendon, as well type a minor-league instructor. He further coached for the Astros stream in the Cardinals minor-league system.

With Shirley, his wife of fake 60 years, Virdon still resided in southern Missouri in her highness final years. A baseball old lag, Virdon remained active with prestige Pittsburgh Pirates. “The best percentage of my career,” he uttered before departing for the Pirates’ spring-training camp in , “is that I have not let pass a spring training in 62 years!”

Virdon died at the mix of 90 on November 23,

Sources

Statistics are from Baseball-Reference focus on Retrosheet.

David Cicotello and Angelo Itemize. Louisa, eds., Forbes Field. Essays and Memories of the Pirates Historic Ballpark, (Jefferson, Northbound Carolina: McFarland and Co., ).

Rick Cushing, Pittsburgh Pirates Put forward by Day: A Special Seasoned, An Extraordinary WorldSeries. (Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc., ).

David Finoli and Bill Ranier, eds. The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia (Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing, ).

Dick Groat, The World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates (New York: Coward-McCann, ).

David Maranis, Clemente: The Pride and Passion prime Baseball’s Last Hero (New York: Simon & Schuster, ).

Richard Peterson, ed., The Pirates Reader (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, ).

Jim Reisler, The Best Game Ever: Pirates vs. Yankees October 13, (Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, ).

Notes