Former MLB Champion Player, Manager Has Passed Away

Bill Virdon, a Pittsburgh Pirates all-time great and longtime MLB manager, passed away on Tuesday. He was 90 years old.

Virdon was a Pirates legend, but actually began his career with the Cardinals. He was the 1956 NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .281 with 17 homes that season.

Virdon spent the rest of his career in Pittsburgh, where he became a franchise great. He hit .267 and had 1,596 hits and 91 homers during his 12-year playing career. Virdon also played in integral role in helping the Pirates beat the Yankees in seven games in the 1960 World Series.

The Pirates’ all-time great took over as the ball-club’s manager in 1972, just three years after he retired from playing. He had several other stops as a manager, including with the Yankees, Astros and Expos. He finished with a .519 winning percentage as a manager.

“We are incredibly saddened to confirm the passing of former Pirates great Bill Virdon,” the Pirates said in a statement.

“Bill was a great member of the Pirates organization and will be truly missed. We send our condolences to the Virdon family at this time.”

The Houston Astros also released a heartfelt statement following Bill Virdon’s passing.

Take a look.

And here’s what Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said about Virdon in a recent statement.

“Bill Virdon was a man who took such great pride in being a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates family,” Nutting said, via MLB.com. “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.”

We send our heartfelt condolences to Virdon’s family and friends during this difficult time.

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