Eddie Yost facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eddie Yost |
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Yost, circa 1959
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: October 13, 1926 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Died: October 16, 2012 (aged 86) Weston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 16, 1944, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 28, 1962, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 139 | ||
| Runs batted in | 683 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Edward Frederick Joseph Yost (born October 13, 1926 – died October 16, 2012) was a famous American professional baseball player and coach. He spent most of his time playing Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Washington Senators. Later, he played for the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels before he stopped playing in 1962.
Yost was about 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall and weighed 170 lb (77 kg). He batted and threw with his right hand. People called him "The Walking Man" because he earned so many bases on balls (walks). He is still one of the top players for getting walks in baseball history. Yost was known as one of the best leadoff hitters and defensive third basemen of his time.
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Eddie Yost's Baseball Career
Yost was born in Brooklyn, New York. He played baseball and basketball at New York University (NYU). In 1944, he joined the Washington Senators as a free agent. He started playing in the Major Leagues when he was only 17 years old, on August 16, 1944. He never played in the minor leagues first. Yost served in the United States Navy in 1945 and then returned to the Senators in 1946.
Key Moments in His Playing Career
In 1950, Yost had a great year. His batting average was .295, and his on-base percentage was .440. In 1951, he led the American League with 36 doubles. He also had a career-high 65 runs batted in. He was chosen to be a reserve player for the American League team in the 1952 All-Star Game.
From August 30, 1949, to May 11, 1955, Yost played in 829 games in a row for the Senators. This is the ninth-longest consecutive game streak in Major League history. Yost did not hit many home runs when playing at Washington's Griffith Stadium. Between 1944 and 1953, he hit only three home runs at home but 52 home runs when playing on the road.
On December 6, 1958, after 14 seasons with the Senators, Yost was traded to the Detroit Tigers. This trade made room for a young player named Harmon Killebrew. In 1959, playing in the hitter-friendly Tiger Stadium, Yost hit a career-high 21 home runs. He also led the American League with 115 runs scored, 135 base on balls, and a .435 on-base percentage. In 1960, he again led the league in walks and on-base percentage.
After two seasons with the Tigers, the Los Angeles Angels chose Yost in the 1961 expansion draft. Yost was the first Angels player to appear in a Major League game. He was the first batter in the team's first game on April 11, 1961. In his very last time at bat as a Major League player, he received a walk.
Eddie Yost's Career Stats
In his 18-year career, Yost played in 2,109 games. He had 1,863 hits in 7,346 at bats, giving him a .254 career batting average. He also hit 139 home runs and had 683 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .394. Yost led the American League in walks six times. He had 1,614 walks in his career, which ranks him 11th on the all-time walks list.
In 1956, Yost had a .412 on-base percentage, even though his batting average was only .231. This was the lowest batting average with a .400 on-base percentage in Major League history. Yost hit 28 home runs to start a game. This record stood until Bobby Bonds broke it in the 1970s.
Yost was a great defensive third baseman. He led American League third basemen many times in:
- Putouts (8 times)
- Double plays (7 times)
- Assists (3 times)
- Fielding percentage (2 times)
He set American League career records for third basemen with 2,356 putouts, 3,659 assists, and 6,285 total chances. His 2,356 putouts rank him third all-time among third basemen. In 1960, he played more games as a third baseman than anyone else at that time. Yost was the first third baseman in history to play in over 2,000 games. Baseball historian Bill James ranked Yost as one of the best third basemen ever.
Yost also went to New York University during the off-season. He earned a Master's degree in physical education in 1953.
Coaching Career
After his long playing career, Yost became a baseball coach for 23 seasons. He started as a playing coach with the 1962 Angels. In 1963, he returned to Washington as the third-base coach for the new Senators team. He worked under his old teammate, manager Mickey Vernon. For a short time, Yost was the interim manager for one game on May 22, 1963, which his team lost. He then continued to coach for the Senators until 1967.
In 1968, when Gil Hodges became manager of the New York Mets, he brought Yost with him. Yost was the Mets' third-base coach from 1968 to 1976. He was a part of the famous 1969 "Miracle Mets" team that won the World Series. He was also with the 1973 Mets team that won the National League pennant but lost the World Series in seven games.
In 1977, Yost continued his coaching career with the Boston Red Sox. He coached at third base for eight more seasons until 1984. By the time he retired in 1984, Yost had spent 40 years in a baseball uniform, all at the Major League level.
Family Life
While playing for the Detroit Tigers, Yost married Patricia Healy. She worked in public relations for the team. They had two daughters, Felita and Alexis, and a son, Mike. They also had two grandsons, Edward and Joseph. Patricia passed away on January 6, 2007.
Yost's daughter, Felita, was an ice dancing competitor. She later became a figure skating coach. His son, Michael, holds the indoor pole vault record at Boston College. His grandson, Edward, played varsity baseball at Huntington Beach High School in California. Edward was a pitcher on the team that won the 2015 California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section Division 1 Championship. Edward Yost now plays for Pepperdine University.
Eddie Yost and his family moved to the Boston area when he coached for the Red Sox. He lived there after he retired. He passed away from cardiovascular disease in Weston, Massachusetts, on October 16, 2012, at the age of 86.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Yost para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks
