Eddie Joost

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Edwin David Joost (June 5, 1916 – April 12, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for all or portions of 17 seasons between 1936 and 1955. In 1954, Joost became the third and last manager in the 54-year history of the Philadelphia Athletics. Under Joost, the A's finished last in the American League and lost over 100 games. After that season, they relocated to Kansas City.

An outstanding defensive player, the right-handed-hitting Joost hit for power but struck out at a higher rate for his era. In a 17-year major league playing career (1936–37; 1939–43; 1945; 1947–55) for the

During a 1941 game with the Reds, Joost fielded 19 balls at shortstop, recording 9 put-outs and 10 assists.

His somewhat high strikeout rate notwithstanding, Joost was a central figure in the brief revival of the Athletics in the late 1940s. For three seasons — 1947 through 1949 — the A's, after over a decade of futility, played over .500 baseball. Joost was their regular shortstop and one of the team's leaders. He twice hit over 20 home runs, and batted .289 in 1951.

Joost was an integral part of an Athletics' infield that registered the still-unmatched feat of turning more than 200 double plays in three consecutive seasons, between 1949–51. The Athletics' 1949 season mark of 217 double plays remains the all-time best in Major League history.^[2][3] One factor contributing to Joost's performance with the A's was his decision to wear eyeglasses on the field, which he had avoided earlier in his career because of the negative stereotype of athletes with eyewear at the time. After speaking with A's manager Connie Mack, Joost began to wear his glasses while playing — and improved his hitting.^[4]

Despite his low lifetime batting average, Joost had excellent patience at the plate, resulting in six straight seasons of 100 walks or more, and a career on-base percentage of .361. In 1949, he had an OBP of .429, hitting 23 home runs, scoring 128 runs and walking 149 times.

But the Athletics' resurgence after World War II was brief. Beset by limited finances and a virtually nonexistent

Joost was the last living member of the Reds team that won the 1940 World Series. At the time of his death, no living player had played on an earlier World Series-winning team. He died April 12, 2011, age 94 in Fair Oaks, California.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball player–managers
• Van Lingle Mungo (song)

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)