Former New York Yankees manager Bill Virdon died Tuesday at the age of 90.
Virdon passed away at the Lester E. Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Mo. according to his wife Shirley. No cause of death was given.
Virdon was Yankees skipper in 1974 and 1975, going 142-124. He also managed the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos.
Before taking over in the dugout, Virdon was a 12-year MLB veteran, playing center field for the Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. In fact, he was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1995 and won a Gold Glove Award in 1962.
Virdon’s big league career began with the Yankees, who signed him 1950 and traded him to the Cardinals in April of 1954 in the deal that sent star outfielder Enos Slaughter to New York. Virdon had big shoes to fill in St. Louis, taking over for Hall of Famer Stan Musial, and hit a career-high 17 home runs as a rookie.
The Cardinals dealt Virdon to Pittsburgh in May 1956, where 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. The Pirates beat the Yankees in the 1960 World Series, taking it in seven games thanks to Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run.
“Bill Virdon was a man who took such great pride in being a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “Every fan who followed our 1960 team will always remember the instrumental role that he played to bring a third World Series championship to the city of Pittsburgh.”
Virdon began managing in 1972 with the Pirates. Two years later, he surprisingly found himself as the manager of the Yankees after American League president Joe Cronin nixed New York’s attempt to sign Dick Williams from the Oakland 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 New York hired Billy Martin.
“Hate to hear about the passing of Bill “Quail” Virdon,” former Pirates and Yankees star Andrew McCutchen posted on Twitter. “He hit me ground balls as long as his body would let him. Time would pass and Id (sic) catch him sitting on bucket. Id (sic) tease him and tell him to get up. His response, ‘Old age can kiss my (butt).”
Virdon, born on June 9, 1931, in Hazel Park, Mich., is survived by wife Shirley, three daughters, seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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