Monday, September 9, 2024

CAREER-CAPPER: 1969 BILL VIRDON

On the blog today, we step away from the 1970s and give Major League "lifer" Bill Virdon a career-capping 1969 card to celebrate his very nice Big League tenure:



Virdon appeared in six games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968 after last seeing action in 1965, collecting one hit over three at-bats, the hit being a home run while picking up two RBIs.
That would be it for Bill Virdon the "player", before beginning a great managerial career in the Majors beginning in 1972, when he guided the Pirates to a 96-win season and a first place finish before losing to the upstart Cincinnati Reds in the N.L. Playoffs.
As a player, Virdon was an excellent center fielder for 12 years, winning the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1955 with the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .281 with 150 hits, 17 homers and 68 RBIs before getting traded to the Pirates the following season, where he would spend the rest of his playing days.
By the time he retired as a player, he hit .267 with 1596 hits over 5980 at-bats, scoring 735 runs, driving in 502, and even picking up a Gold Glove in 1962.
All told as a Major League manager, Virdon finished with a record of 995 and 921, with two first place finishes as well as a first place finish in the second half of the 1981 strike season debacle, managing the Pirates, New York Yankees,Houston Astros and Montreal Expos between 1972 and 1984.