Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 – June 15, 1992) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, coach, manager, front office executive, and scout. He was sometimes known as "the Junk Man", but better known as "Steady Eddie", a nickname later given to Eddie Murray. He was born in New York City.

Early life

Lopat was born Edmund Walter Lopatynski on June 21, 1918, in New York City. He graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx 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 without success, but the Brooklyn Dodgers sent him to their minor league affiliate in the Pennsylvania State Association for $50/month. Lopat was originally signed to play professional baseball by the Brooklyn Dodgers. 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, where he had a 12–7 record.

In 1939, he led the East Texas League with a 2.11 earned run average (ERA), to go along with a 16–9 record, pitching for the Chicago White Sox affiliated Longview Cannibals. In 1940, he played for the Shreveport Sports of the Class-A1 Texas League, 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. However, in pitching for the Oklahoma City Indians of the Texas League that same year, he was 3–4, with a 1.76 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 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. 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. He was 31st in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting that year.

New York Yankees

The near 30-year old Lopat was traded to the New York Yankees 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 and Vic Raschi; and from 1949 to 1953, 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. He led the American League in winning percentage 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. Reynolds retired after 1954, 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 for Jim McDonald and cash.

In 1953, he led Eddie Lopat's All Stars on a baseball barnstorming tour of Japan. Among these all stars were future hall of famers Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Robin Roberts, Eddie Mathews, Bob Lemon, Nellie Fox, and Enos Slaughter. 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". 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.'" because he never threw the same pitch, nor to the same spot, twice.

Coaching, managing and scouting 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 was hired as a pitching coach in Kansas City by Hank Bauer, 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. But his 1964 A's were playing only .327 baseball at 17–35 on June 10, when he was replaced by Mel McGaha, 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 owned the A's he hired eight different managers.) Lopat's final major league managerial record was 90–124 (.421).

Death

He died at his son's home in Darien, Connecticut, on June 15, 1992.

References

  • Baseball Almanac