Bill Virdon

Book excerpt: One of the most underrated players in baseball history, Bill Virdon went on to successfully manage four Major League teams. Rookie of the Year with the 1955 St. Louis Cardinals, he played center field for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, next to right fielder Roberto Clemente. Virdon's key plays clinched the Pirates' victory over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. He was instrumental in coaching the "Bucs" during the 1971 Series against the Baltimore Orioles, and later that year became their manager, Virdon was American League Manager of the Year with the Yankees in 1974, and National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1980. In 1984 he ended his MLB managerial career while with the Montreal Expos yet continued to coach through the 2002 season. This first-ever biography covers his remarkable career, with previously untold stories from Virdon and his wife, Shirley.