Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 – June 15, 1992) was an American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
,
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
,
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
, front office executive, and
scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
. He was sometimes known as "the Junk Man", but better known as "Steady Eddie", a nickname later given to
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...
. He was born in New York City.
Early life
Lopat was born Edmund Walter Lopatynski on June 21, 1918, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
He graduated from
Dewitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is a public high school located since 1929 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Opened in 1897 in Lower Manhattan as an all-boys school, it maintained that status for 86 years before becoming co-ed in 1983. From i ...
in
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
in 1935. The school did not have a baseball team, and he played first base for the Music Hall team in the Theatrical League.
In 1936, he tried out for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
without success, but the Brooklyn Dodgers sent him to their minor league affiliate in the
Pennsylvania State Association for $50/month.
Minor leagues
A ,
left-hander,
Lopat was originally signed to play professional baseball by the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
. He would play a total of seven years of minor league baseball before playing in the major leagues.
He began his professional baseball playing career in 1937, as a first baseman for the
Greensburg Green Sox in the
Class-D Pennsylvania State Association.
The next season, he was converted to a pitcher while playing for the
Jeanerette Blues of the
Evangeline League in
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, where he had a 12–7 record.
In 1939, he led the
East Texas League with a 2.11
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), to go along with a 16–9 record, pitching for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
affiliated
Longview Cannibals. In 1940, he played for the
Shreveport Sports
The Shreveport Sports were a professional Minor League Baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Sports fielded a team from 1925 to 1935, 1938 to 1942, 1946 to 1957, and 1959 to 1961. They were affiliated with the C ...
of the
Class-A1 Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
, but with an ERA of 5.94 in 15 games. He also played that year for the Class-C Marshall Tigers of the East Texas League, going 7–9, with a 3.45 ERA.
In 1941, he was sent down to the Class-D
Salina Millers
Salina may refer to:
Places United States
*Salina, Arizona
* Salina, Colorado
* Salina, Iowa
*Salina, Kansas
*Salina, Michigan, a former village now part of Saginaw, Michigan
*Salina, New York
*Salina, Oklahoma
* Salina, Pennsylvania
* Salina, Ut ...
in the
Western League, where he was 11–15, with a 3.84 ERA. However, in pitching for the
Oklahoma City Indians
The Oklahoma City Indians was the primary name of an American professional baseball team representing Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from 1904 though 1957, except for 1913 and three seasons during World War II. The team played in several different minor ...
of the Texas League that same year, he was 3–4, with a 1.76 ERA.
Again at Oklahoma City in 1942, Lopat was 6–7, with a 3.32 ERA. He also played part of the 1942 season, and all of his final (1943) minor league season in Class-A1 ball, with the
Little Rock Travelers
The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and members (1902–1910, 1915–1958, 1960–1961) of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or Double-A circuit was typically tw ...
of the Southern Association. In 1942, he was 6–4, with a 2.44 ERA with the Travelers; and overall 12–11 with a 3.08 ERA for the year. Lopat’s 1943 won—loss record improved considerably over the previous few years, with a 19–10 record, and he had a 3.05 ERA.
In his most unusual baseball experience, Lopat pitched the opening game of a double header for the Travelers, and then was called on to serve as the first base umpire in the second game when the assigned umpire was overcome by the heat.
Major league
Chicago White Sox
After seven
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
seasons, he was called up to the Chicago White Sox in 1944.
Lopat made his major league pitching debut on April 30, 1944. During his four years with the White Sox (1944-47), the team never had a winning season. Despite the team's lack of success, Lopat's four year record was 50–49, with a 3.10 ERA. His best year with the White Sox came in 1947, when Lopat was 16–13 (on a team that won only 70 games) with a 2.81 ERA, while giving up only 73
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk,
occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...
in 252.2
innings pitched
In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
. He was 31st in most valuable player voting that year.
New York Yankees
The near 30-year old Lopat was traded to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
on February 24, 1948, for
Aaron Robinson,
Bill Wight, and
Fred Bradley.
From 1948 to 1953 he was the third of the "Big Three" of the Yankees' pitching staff, together with
Allie Reynolds
Allie Pierce Reynolds (February 10, 1917 – December 26, 1994) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Reynolds pitched in MLB for the Cleveland Indians (1942–1946) and New York Yankees (1947–1954 ...
and
Vic Raschi
Victor John Angelo Raschi (March 28, 1919 – October 14, 1988) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed "the Springfield Rifle", he was one of the top pitchers for the New York Yankees in the late 1940s and early 1950s, fo ...
; and from 1949-53, the Yankees won five consecutive World Series.
During those five championship years, Lopat's regular season won–loss records were 15–10, 18–8, 21–9, 10–5 and 16–4, respectively. His annual ERAs were 3.26, 3.47, 2.91, 2.53 and 2.42, respectively.
Lopat pitched in the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
in for the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
. He led the American League in
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the to ...
and ERA in 1953, at 35 years old. In five World Series, he started seven games and had a 4–1 record, with a 2.60 ERA.
In his last full year with the Yankees (1954), he was 12–4, with a 3.55 ERA.
Raschi was no longer with the team,
and even though the Yankees won 103 games in a 154 game season, they were still eight games behind the first place Cleveland Indians in 1954. Reynolds retired after 1954,
and by 1955, the Yankees had younger pitchers like future hall of famer
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. ...
,
Bob Turley
Robert Lee Turley (September 19, 1930 – March 30, 2013), known as "Bullet Bob", was an American professional baseball player and financial planner. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1951 through 1963. After his retire ...
and
Tommy Byrne. The 37-year old Lopat was 4–8 with a 3.74 ERA on July 30, 1955, when he was traded to the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for
Jim McDonald and cash.
Lopat finished out the season with the Orioles, and retired.
Career
Over his 12-year AL career, Lopat won 166 games, losing 112 (.597) with an ERA of 3.21. He was also adept with the bat, compiling a .211 batting average with 5 home runs and 77 runs batted in during his career.
On June 4, 1951, the Cleveland Indians were so frustrated in not having defeated Lopat in almost two years, they held Beat Eddie Lopat Night (which they did).
In 1953, he led Eddie Lopat’s All Stars on a baseball
barnstorming
Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
tour of Japan. Among these all stars were future hall of famers
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
,
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
,
Robin Roberts,
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons for the Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (19 ...
,
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon (September 22, 1920 – January 11, 2000) was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lemon was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Lemon was raised in California, ...
,
Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. ...
, and
Enos Slaughter
Enos Bradsher Slaughter (April 27, 1916 – August 12, 2002), nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He played for 19 seasons on four major league teams from 1938 to 1942 and 1946 to 1959. He is noted prim ...
. Lopat himself had toured Japan with a group of players organized by
Lefty O’Doul in 1951, inspiring his 1953 effort.
Pitching style
Lopat threw an assortment of pitches at different speeds, with the same motion, earning the nickname "The Junk Man". He was also known as "Steady Eddie".
Ned Garver
Ned Franklin Garver (December 25, 1925 – February 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1948–1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952–195 ...
described Lopat's pitching style, writing that he "changed speeds a lot and never really threw an exceptional fastball."
Paul Richards, who managed Lopat briefly for the Orioles, said: "'Lopat throws his slow ball with the identical motion he throws his fastball, slider, screwball or any other pitch. Each looks the same as it leaves his hand, but it's the different speeds which keep the batter off balance.'"
Lopat was often successful against hall of fame hitting great
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...
,
because he never threw the same pitch, nor to the same spot, twice.
Still, while Williams hit less than his .344 lifetime batting average against Lopat,
he did hit .316 in 79 at bats, with two home runs and 18 walks. By comparison, however, Williams hit .368 with six home runs and 28 walks against Reynolds; .413, with four home runs and 19 walks against Raschi; and .378, with five home runs in only 45 at bats, and 13 walks, against Ford.
Coaching career
Even while still playing for the Yankees, Lopat functioned as another pitching coach to teammates like Whitey Ford.
Lopat managed the
Triple-A Richmond Virginians for the Yankees from 1956 to 1958, compiling a cumulative record of 226–234 with one playoff berth.
He also played that first year in Richmond with an 11–6 record and 2.85 ERA, the only time he played above Class-A1 baseball in the minor leagues.
Lopat then became a roving
pitching coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...
in the Bombers'
farm system
In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...
in 1959. In , he served one season as the Yankees' MLB pitching coach during
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
's final campaign as the club's manager. That year produced an American League pennant for the Yankees, but a defeat at the hands of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
. Lopat was not rehired by Stengel's successor,
Ralph Houk
Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed "the Major", was an American catcher, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor o ...
, but he stayed in the league as pitching coach of the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
in and the
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
in .
Lopat was hired as a pitching coach in Kansas City by
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert Bauer (July 31, 1922 – February 9, 2007) was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (–) and Kansas City Athletics (–); he batted and threw right-handed. He served as ...
, his former Yankees teammate. In , Bauer was fired, and Lopat was tapped to manage the Athletics and continued in this role until June 11, 1964.
His
1963 squad finished in eighth place, registering one more victory than it had in 1962. But his
1964 A's were playing only
.327 baseball at 17–35 on June 10, when he was replaced by
Mel McGaha
Fred Melvin McGaha ( ; September 26, 1926 – February 3, 2002) was an American coach and manager in Major League Baseball as well as a professional basketball player. Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, he stood tall and weighed . McGaha graduated fro ...
, who led the team to 40 wins and 70 losses to finish the year. McGaha was fired 26 games into the following season. (During the first ten years
Charlie Finley
Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 – February 19, 1996), nicknamed "Charlie O" or "Charley O", was an American businessman who owned Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas ...
owned the A’s he hired eight different managers.) Lopat’s final major league managerial record was 90–124 (.421).
Lopat remained with the Athletics as a senior front office aide to team owner
Charlie Finley
Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 – February 19, 1996), nicknamed "Charlie O" or "Charley O", was an American businessman who owned Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas ...
until the club moved to
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
after the season. He then
scouted for the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
during their early years in Major League Baseball. He also scouted for the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
, Yankees and the
Major League Scouting Bureau.
Managerial record
Later life and death
In 1978, Eddie Lopat was inducted into the
National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1973. The mission of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is to recognize and preserve outstanding achievement by individuals of Polish heritage in the field o ...
. He died at his son's home in
Darien, Connecticut
Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under , it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast.
Situated on the Long Island ...
, on June 15, 1992.
Yanks' pitching great Eddie Lopat dies at 73
/ref>
References
External links
Baseball Almanac
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lopat, Eddie
1918 births
1992 deaths
American League All-Stars
American League ERA champions
American people of Polish descent
Baltimore Orioles players
Chicago White Sox players
Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Connecticut
Greensburg Green Sox players
Jeanerette Blues players
Kansas City Athletics coaches
Kansas City Athletics executives
Kansas City Athletics managers
Little Rock Travelers players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball pitching coaches
Minnesota Twins coaches
Minor league baseball managers
Montreal Expos scouts
New York Yankees coaches
New York Yankees players
Oklahoma City Indians players
People from Hillsdale, New Jersey
Richmond Virginians (minor league) players
Shreveport Sports players
Baseball players from New York City
Baseball players from Bergen County, New Jersey