Ned Yost facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ned Yost |
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Yost with the Kansas City Royals in 2011
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| Catcher / Manager | |||
| Born: August 19, 1954 Eureka, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 12, 1980, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 6, 1985, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .212 | ||
| Home runs | 16 | ||
| Runs batted in | 64 | ||
| Managerial record | 1,203–1,341 | ||
| Winning % | .473 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Edgar Frederick “Ned” Yost III (born August 19, 1954) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager. He managed two well-known teams: the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals. Before becoming a manager, he played baseball for the Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Montreal Expos.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Ned Yost was born in Eureka, California. He grew up playing baseball and went to Dublin High School. He worked hard to get stronger, even scrubbing pots at a fast-food restaurant.
After high school, Yost attended Chabot Junior College. He joined their baseball team even though he didn't get offers from other schools. This shows his dedication to the sport.
Playing Baseball in the Major Leagues
Ned Yost was chosen twice in the 1974 MLB Draft. First, the Montreal Expos picked him. Then, the New York Mets selected him, and he signed his first professional contract with them. Later, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers.
Yost played as a backup catcher for the Brewers from 1980 to 1983. This included their exciting 1982 World Series season. He then played one year with the Texas Rangers in 1984. He played a career-high 80 games that year. In 1985, he played five games for the Montreal Expos before he stopped playing professionally.
Throughout his playing career, he never had more than 242 turns at bat in a season. He finished with a .212 batting average. After his playing days, Yost briefly worked as a taxidermist.
Coaching Baseball Teams
After playing, Yost started coaching. He joined the Atlanta Braves organization in 1991. He was the Braves' bullpen coach, helping pitchers, from 1991 to 1998.
He won a World Series championship ring in 1995 with the Braves. They defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games. He was also part of several National League teams that reached the World Series but didn't win. In 1999, Yost became the Braves' third base coach. He held this position until the end of the 2002 season.
Managing Baseball Teams
Milwaukee Brewers Manager
On October 29, 2002, Ned Yost became the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. He took over from Jerry Royster. In 2005, he was chosen to be part of the coaching staff for the MLB All-Star Game.
Yost helped the Brewers improve their team. They went from having losing seasons to becoming a team that could compete for championships. In 2007, he finished seventh in the voting for Manager of the Year. As a manager, he wore jersey number 3. This was a tribute to his close friend, NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt, who had passed away.
In 2007, the Brewers had a big lead in their division but couldn't hold onto it. Yost's decisions were questioned by some fans and experts. However, the team's general manager announced Yost would return for the 2008 season.
He stopped managing the Brewers on September 15, 2008. The team was still in the playoff race but had lost many recent games. Yost finished his time with the Brewers with 457 wins and 502 losses. The Brewers later made it to the postseason that year, their first time since 1982.
Kansas City Royals Manager
On May 13, 2010, Yost became the manager of the Kansas City Royals. Before the 2012 season, the Royals extended his contract. In 2013, Yost led the Royals to an 86–76 record. This was their first winning season since 2003.
In 2014, Yost guided the Royals to their first playoff appearance since 1985. They finished the season with 89 wins and 73 losses. Yost's Royals won all four games against the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. This gave the team their first American League pennant in 29 years. They also became the first MLB team to win their first eight playoff games in a row. The Royals then played in the 2014 World Series but lost in seven games to the San Francisco Giants. Yost finished third in the voting for Manager of the Year that season.
At the start of the 2015 season, the Royals had a fantastic 7–0 start. This was the second-best start in team history. Yost became the longest-serving manager in Royals history. He also became the winningest manager in the club's history on June 18, 2015. On the last day of the 2015 regular season, Yost's Royals had the best record in the American League at 95–67. This gave them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Royals defeated the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and finally the New York Mets. This brought Kansas City its first World Series championship since 1985. It was also Yost's first championship as a manager.
On September 17, 2016, Yost earned his 1,000th victory as a manager. This happened when the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 3–2. In both 2016 and 2018, he was very good at winning replay challenges.
On September 23, 2019, Yost announced he would retire at the end of the 2019 season. He finished his time with the Royals with 746 wins and 839 losses. Both of these are franchise records for a manager in Royals history.
Managerial Record Overview
Ned Yost's career as a manager included many games. Here's a look at his overall record:
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
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| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MIL | 2003 | 162 | 68 | 94 | .420 | 6th in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| MIL | 2004 | 161 | 67 | 94 | .416 | 6th in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| MIL | 2005 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| MIL | 2006 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 4th in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| MIL | 2007 | 162 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 2nd in NL Central | – | – | – | |
| MIL | 2008 | 150 | 83 | 67 | .553 | Fired | – | – | – | |
| MIL total | 959 | 457 | 502 | .477 | – | – | – | |||
| KC | 2010 | 127 | 55 | 72 | .433 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2011 | 162 | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2012 | 162 | 72 | 90 | .444 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2013 | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2014 | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 2nd in AL Central | 11 | 4 | .733 | Lost World Series (SF) |
| KC | 2015 | 162 | 95 | 67 | .586 | 1st in AL Central | 11 | 5 | .688 | Won World Series (NYM) |
| KC | 2016 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2017 | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 3rd in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2018 | 162 | 58 | 104 | .358 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC | 2019 | 162 | 59 | 103 | .364 | 4th in AL Central | – | – | – | |
| KC total | 1585 | 746 | 839 | .471 | 22 | 9 | .710 | |||
| Total | 2544 | 1203 | 1341 | .473 | 22 | 9 | .710 | |||
Personal Life
Ned Yost and his wife, Deborah, have four children. They live in rural Georgia during the off-season. One of his sons, Ned Yost IV, is also involved in baseball. He works as a coach for the Nashville Sounds, a minor league team.
In 2017, Ned Yost had an accident at home. He was able to get help quickly thanks to his cell phone. He later shared his story in a television commercial, explaining how his phone helped him.
Ned Yost was good friends with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr.. During a baseball strike in 1994, Yost even worked with Earnhardt's racing crew. Earnhardt won his seventh NASCAR Championship that year, and Yost was there to see it. Yost believes Earnhardt taught him a lot about winning as a manager. After Earnhardt's death, Yost changed his jersey number to 3, which was Earnhardt's number.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins
