Ex-Major League Baseball player and longtime Springfield resident Bill Virdon dies at 90

Former professional baseball star and longtime Springfield resident Bill Virdon died Monday night surrounded by family at the age of 90.

David Jerome, who recently completed a biography about Virdon’s life, confirmed the news Tuesday morning on Facebook.

“Rest in peace, Bill Virdon. You were loved by so many and you will be missed by all who knew you so well. I know that God has his arms wrapped around you welcoming you home!” Jerome’s post said.

William Charles Virdon, born in June of 1931, had a lustrous career in Major League Baseball as both a player and a manager.

The highlights included Rookie of the Year in 1955 with the St. Louis Cardinals, a World Series win with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960, a Golden Glove award in 1961, multiple nods as National League Manager of the Year and an induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Virdon, who graduated from West Plains High School and played baseball for Drury University, made his professional baseball debut in 1950 as a part of the New York Yankees minor league system.

He played throughout the Yankee’s minor leagues until 1954 when they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. Virdon was then moved up to the major leagues in 1955 as an outfielder following Stan Musial’s move to first base.

His first year in the major leagues, Virdon had a batting average of .281, with 17 home runs and 68 RBIs. He was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year, but despite his success, a 1956 trade sent him to the Pittsburg Pirates where he spent the rest of his time as a player.

While in Pittsburgh, Virdon helped lead the Pirates to a World Series victory in 1960 where he is credited with some of the most “acrobatic catches in World Series history.” When asked about them in 2017 a smiling Virdon told the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, “I guess I did that.”

The following year Virdon won a Golden Glove.

By the time his career as a player ended in 1968, Virdon had recorded more than 1,500 hits, 91 home runs, 502 RBIs and played 1,583 major league games.

He transitioned to the coaching side of baseball and became manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972, moved to the New York Yankees in 1974 and then began managing the Houston Astros in 1975 where he stayed until 1982.

Virdon brought the Astros to their first postseason appearance in 1980 following a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a one-game tiebreaker to secure a spot in the playoffs. Following the win, a 1980 photo from the Houston Chronicle shows Virdon, who didn’t drink, being doused in milk instead of champagne by his players in the locker room while they celebrated.

The Astros were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies that year in the National League Championship series, but Virdon was named the National League Manager of the Year.

He also has the most wins as a manager in the Astros franchise history with a record of 544-522 (.510).

More: Former Astros manager, who lives in Springfield, watched Houston win first World Series

His managerial career in Major League baseball ended in 1984 with the Montreal Expos and in total, he had combined 995 wins as a manager. After he left the Expos, Virdon continued to serve on the coaching staff for the Pirates until 2002 and was a longtime Spring Training instructor for the team.

His last words to me were ‘I love you’

David Jerome, a local writer, said he has been spending time with Virdon and his family since 2019 when he began work on a biography of Virdon’s life.

“They made us feel so welcome and they shared their lives which they didn’t have to do,” Jerome said.

But to Jerome, Virdon wasn’t just the subject of the book he was writing, he was a dear friend.

“There are no words,” Jerome said. “My wife, Kathy, and I have grown very close to Bill and Shirley Virdon over the last two years. They are like family to us.”

Jerome recently completed the biography of Virdon’s life, which he has been working on for two years, and said the book should be published in late spring of next year.

“I just submitted the last remaining document, the preface, yesterday,” he said.

The family has asked Jerome to officiate Virdon’s funeral services, something Jerome said he is honored to do in memory of his friend.

“The last words he told me were I love you,” he said. “So I’ll have that to remember for the rest of my life.”

Former teams, players: Virdon ‘was one of the best’ and ‘will never be forgotten’

Following the news of Virdon’s passing, teams across the MLB posted statements mourning the loss of Virdon and admiring his accomplishments throughout his career.

The chairman of the Pittsburgh Pirates Bob Nutting praised Virdon’s dedication to the organization.

"Bill Virdon was a man who took such great pride in being a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates family," Nutting said. "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."

A statement on Twitter from the Astros said that Virdon’s “impact on the Astros organization will never be forgotten.”

"Bill Virdon was an extremely vital part of the Astros success, leading the franchise to its first two postseason appearances," the statement said. "He was respected throughout baseball for his intensity and knowledge of the game and enjoyed a long, successful career both as a player and manager.”

One of Virdon’s players with the Astros, Enos Cabell, who played for Virdon for six seasons also released a statement.

"I loved Bill," Cabell said. "He gave me my first chance to play every day in the Major Leagues and was always honest and truthful with me. I played for four Hall of Fame managers, and Bill was my favorite. He was one of the best baseball minds of anyone that I played for. It is very sad to hear that he has passed."

The CEO and Executive Director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Jerald Andrews said Virdon is one of the most influential sports personalities in Missouri.

“The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame joins with The Virdon Family in mourning Bill’s passing. Bill and his wife, Shirley, have been great friends, and he was just a great man,” Andrews said. “In my 26 years here, I think he played a more significant role than any other Missouri sports personality. He was just involved in anything and everything we did.”

Virdon is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and was named a Missouri Sports Legend in 2012.

The St. Louis Cardinals, where Virdon made his major league debut and won National League Rookie of the Year, also released a statement extending their condolences to Virdon’s family.

Virdon and his wife Shirley have been residents of Springfield since 1960, and have been actively involved in the community including holding season tickets to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals and attending many events through the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. The pair, who married in 1951, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sunday.

Virdon is survived by his wife, three daughters, seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements, which are being done through Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, have not been officially announced, but Jerome said services will be held sometime next week most likely at Kings Way United Methodist Church in Springfield.

"We lost not only a great professional sports figure, but we lost a great human being," Jerome said. "I love him. I'm going to miss him dearly."

Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, (417) 597-7663 or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Former MLB star Bill Virdon, of Springfield, dies at 90