By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier
Former Major League Baseball
player Eddie Joost, 92, has plenty
of juice left.
During a special “Legends”
event at the Hall of Fame last Friday,
Joost talked about his friendship
with Ted Williams; playing for
Hall of Fame managers Casey
Stengel and Connie Mack; his experiences
on the 1940 World Series
champion Cincinnati Reds; and
wondered out loud why the infield
he played on with the Philadelphia
A’s, which turned a still-record 217
double plays, isn’t represented in
the Hall of Fame.
Joost grew up in San Francisco
and said he started playing baseball
almost accidentally, as he said
there was nothing else to do in his
neighborhood.
``My family wasn’t destitute, but
it was close to it,’’ Joost said.
Joost broke into the major
leagues at the age of 20 with the
Reds, and four years later won the
World Series with the Reds.
``I was a utility infielder at the
time, but right before the Series
the second baseman had the lid of
an ice chest fall on his foot and
break it, and so I got to play every
game,’’ Joost recalled. ``We won
with pitching and defense, something
that still wins games today.’’
Before the 1943 season, Joost
was traded to Boston and clashed
with manager Casey Stengel, who
later won five straight World Series
titles with the New York Yankees
from 1949-53.
``Casey Stengel was not great a
manager,’’ Joost said. ``The only
team he was successful on was the
Yankees.’’
Joost said his feud with Stengel
was so bad, he would turn his chair
toward his locker and read a newspaper
during Stengel’s pre-game
pep talks.
Joost said his time in Boston
ended after one particular at bat.
Joost said the third base coach gave
him the bunt sign, even though he
had two strikes and two were out
with a runner on first.
Joost attempted to bunt and
fouled the ball off, which is recorded
as a strikeout.
``After the inning, Stengel asked
me what I thought I was doing and
I said the third base coach gave me
the bunt sign,’’ Joost said. ``He said
‘No he didn’t.’’’
Confused, Joost asked the third
base coach: ``Didn’t you give me the
bunt sign?’’
The third base coach replied:
``No, Casey told me to change the
signs yesterday but not to tell
you.’’
Although Joost did not enjoy his
time in Boston, he said he formed a
friendship with cantankerous leftfielder
Ted Williams, who many
consider the best hitter ever.
``He was great in the outfield
too,’’ Joost said. ``There are a lot of
negative things written about him
but he was a great man, and I’d be
the first to stand up for him if anyone
asked.’’
After being out of baseball for a
year, Joost was signed by Philadelphia
before the 1947 season, and
played with the A’s and manager
Connie Mack for nine seasons. His
best year at the plate was in 1949,
when he hit .263 with 23 home runs
and 81 runs batted in to go along
with 149 walks.
That was also the year he began
wearing eyeglasses, something that
was frowned on by some baseball
people.
``I was seeing two balls coming
at me, so I told Mr. Mack I needed
to start wearing glasses, and to his
credit he just told me to do what I
needed to do,’’ Joost said. ``Mr.
Mack was a great steadying influence
on the team, and I owe a lot to
him because he gave me a second
chance in the major leagues.’’
Also during that ’49 season,
Joost teamed with second baseman
Pete Sutter to turn 126 of the record
217 double plays.
``Pete Sutter was one of the great
second baseman of all time, it’s just
people never heard of him,’’ Joost
said. ``I call the Hall of Fame sometimes
and ask why our accomplishment
isn’t recognized in some way
here.’’
Hall of Fame spokesman Brad
Horn said there are thousands of
records in baseball, and there may
come a time when the double play
record becomes relevant to tell a
story.
Horn added members of the
Philadelphia A’s Historical Society
initially approached the museum
about having Joost speak.
``There are many fan organizations
that want to preserve memories
and legacies of certain players
and eras, and we were receptive to
having Eddie here,’’ Horn said.
