Eddie Yost, “The Walking Man”

In his final Major League plate appearance, Eddie Yost did what he had done so many times before: he drew a walk.

In his 1951 farewell address, General Douglas MacArthur famously said, “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.” That line, delivered at the conclusion of his retirement speech from command in the Korean War, echoes far beyond the battlefield.

Eddie Yost (photo courtesy Cooperstown Expert)

It applies to the world of sports, too, where veteran athletes often fade quietly into history, their names forgotten as new stars rise.

Every baseball season, as the postseason begins, I find myself reminiscing about the golden era of the game. Names like Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Brooks Robinson come to mind. But there is one name that rarely surfaces: Eddie Yost. Known as The Walking Man, a nickname that might seem odd, isn’t.

Yost’s special talent was a product of home plate discipline. Yost was a master of drawing walks, ranking 11th all-time with 1,614 bases on balls. He led the American League in walks six times, a testament to his keen eye and patience at the plate.

Eddie Yost had an impressive career, spending 18 seasons in Major League Baseball. He spent most of his career with the Washington Senators, and then was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft. There, he had the distinction of being the first Angel to appear in a game.

In 1960, Yost surpassed Harold Joseph “Pie Traynor’s” record for most games played as a third baseman (1,865 appearances), and was the first third baseman to play in over 2,000 games. For those and other reasons, baseball historian Bill James ranks him 24th among third basemen (Historical Baseball Abstract).

Yost returned to the Senators as a third base coach after his playing career ended. Then, in 1968, he became the 3rd base coach with the amazing Mets, where he earned a World Series ring.