Comments on: Eddie Yost, dubbed “The Walking Man,” passes away at age 86

By: urbisoler

urbisoler — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:39:57 +0000

I tried to contact Phil Wood for just this reason. I wanted to send him a copy of my book dedicated, in part, to Eddie Yost (see comment below). Never made contact.

By: urbisoler

urbisoler — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:35:59 +0000

Eddie was my baseball hero growing up. I am depressed that he is gone. I wrote a baseball book that was, in part, dedicated to Eddie Yost. Bill James not only claimed that Eddie was the 24th best third baseman ever, he also claimed that Eddie was THE BEST third baseman during the 1950-1959 decade.
See http://bleacherreport.com/articles/88918-mlb-all-decade-teams
I’m glad I got to speak to Eddie last year over the phone. He was a great guy and a great ballplayer. He was the epitome of what a leadoff ballplayer should be – getting on base was Job 1.

By: scitizen

scitizen — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:53:17 +0000

1953 – My greatest thrill to catch foul ball hit my Eddie Yost at Griffith Stadium. Thanks Eddie, RIP

By: jmy9595

jmy9595 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:00:47 +0000

Died 50 years to the day of his last MLB appearance.

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:43:31 +0000

Phil Wood is one of the few in DC media types who evokes Washington’s baseball past. Thomas Boswell (who grew up as a Senators fan) does it every once in a while. But then, I’ve lived in the SC area long enough to have read columns by the legendary Shirley Povich, in his last years.

The Nats pay some homage to the Senators, as well as the Homestead Grays. The statues of Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard. The ring of fame behind home plate. The occasional game wearing old-time uniforms. The old photos, posters, and pictures of baseball cards in the Stars & Stripes Club.

By: jericoc

jericoc — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:12:55 +0000

He was Gil Hodges’ right-hand man in his post-playing career. I remember him fondly as the Mets’ third base coach during those great seasons of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:36:06 +0000

RIP Eddie Yost.

By: nolanwiffle

nolanwiffle — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:07:42 +0000

Phil Wood, a great sports radio/TV personality in DC, has always signed off the radio airwaves with a simple, “Eddie Yost” (adios)! A great way to honor one of the great Senators.

By: opshuns

opshuns — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 07:45:25 +0000

I remember him with the Tigers…RIP,,,,,

By: edelmanfanclub

edelmanfanclub — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 07:23:08 +0000

RIP

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:53:47 +0000

Great point. He hit 25 homers in 3,067 at-bats at Griffith and 114 in 4,278 at-bats elsewhere. If he had hit homers at Griffith at the same rate he did everywhere else, he would have had 82 there and finished his career with 196 instead of 139. And that’s still probably underselling him a bit.

Once Yost got out of Griffith at age 32, he hit 35 homers in his two years with the Tigers.

By: mgflolox

mgflolox — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:34:08 +0000

Griffith Stadium was a notoriously tough home run park. In most other parks, I’ll bet Yost would have been a consistent 20+ homers a year guy with the 100 walks. He was a tremendously underrated and under appreciated player in his day.

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 04:10:14 +0000

Ha… didn’t even occur to me. I just like the ’52s. Plus, I did want one of him with the Senators.

By: raysfan1

raysfan1 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 03:53:24 +0000

I remember him as a coach; he retired as a player before I was born. RIP, “Walking Man.”

Matthew–good job using the baseball card from his All Star year, 1952.