Springfield in Greene County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
William Charles "Bill" Virdon
Photographed By Jason Voigt, April 5, 2021
1. William Charles "Bill" Virdon Marker
To Charles Neles and Bertha Mae (Marley) Virdon
Married to Shirley L. Shemwell on November 17, 1951
Father to Deborah Ann, Linda Sue and Lisa Lee
Signed by the New York Yankees in 1950
Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Enos Slaughter in 1954
Named National League Rookie of the Year as a Cardinal in 1955, batting .281 and hitting 17 home runs
In May of 1956, traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and finished the season with a career high .319 batting average
Starting centerfielder for the 1960, World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates posting seven hits and five RBI's
Awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove in 1962
Completed his playing days in 1965 but, while coaching for the Pirates was activated for 6 games during the 1968 season - hit .333
Hitting coach for the 1971 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates
Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972 and 1973, his '72 team won the NL East
Manager of the 1974 and 1975 New York Yankees named AL Manager of the Year in 1974
Manager of the Houston Astros from 1975 to 1982, his 1980 team won the NL West, named NL Manager of the Year in 1980; took team to playoffs in strike shortened 1981 season; to date, the all-time winningest manager in Houston Astros' history
Manager of
this page online
Combined managerial record 995 wins - 921 losses
Inducted to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1983
Recognized as a
Missouri Sports Legend
May 2012
Erected 2012 by Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1956.
Location. 37° 7.239′ N, 93° 13.008′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Missouri, in Greene County. Marker can be reached from East Stan Musial Drive south of U.S. 60. The marker is outside the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3861 E Stan Musial Dr, Springfield MO 65809, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. John V. "Pete" Adkins (here, next to this marker); Edwin T. "Ned" Reynolds (here, next to this marker); Anthony "Tony" La Russa (here, next to this marker); John Kadlec (here, next to this marker); Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil (here, next to this marker); Thomas Michael "Mike" Shannon (here, next to this marker); Coach Norm Stewart (here, next to this marker); Dan Dierdorf (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Springfield.
Also see . . . Bill Virdon on Wikipedia. (Submitted on May 17, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed By Jason Voigt, April 5, 2021
2. William Charles "Bill" Virdon Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 310 times since then and 34 times this year. Last updated on February 1, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 17, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
