Ned Yost

Ned Yost
Kansas City Royals – No. 3
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1955-08-19) August 19, 1955 Eureka, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 12, 1980, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Last appearance
October 6, 1985, for the Montreal Expos
Career statistics (through August 21, 2013)
Batting average	.212
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	64
Games managed	1,535
Win–loss record	719–816
Winning %	.468
Stats at Baseball Reference
Managerial record at Baseball Reference
Teams
As player Milwaukee Brewers (1980–1983) Texas Rangers (1984) Montreal Expos (1985) As Manager Milwaukee Brewers (2003–2008) Kansas City Royals (2010–present)

Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III (/ˈjoʊst/; born August 19, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals. He is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Biography

Playing career

Yost, as a player, was used primarily as a backup catcher for the Brewers from 1980 to 1983 (which included the 1982 World Series), and then spent a year with the Texas Rangers (1984; he played a career-high 80 games with the Rangers, hitting .182) and played 5 games for the Montreal Expos (1985) before retiring.

He never had more than 242 at bats in a season. He ended his career with a .212 batting average, and .237 on base percentage, in 605 at bats. He had a .982 fielding percentage (the league average was .987).

Yost briefly enjoyed a second career as a taxidermist in Jackson, Mississippi in between his playing days and coaching days.

Coaching career

After a brief stint managing in the minors, Yost joined the Atlanta Braves organization. He was the Braves' bullpen coach from 1991 to 1998 and earned a ring as a part of the 1995 World Series championship team. In 1999 Yost became the Braves' third base coach, where he stayed until the end of the 2002 season.

Managing career

On October 29, 2002, Yost was named the Brewers manager, succeeding Jerry Royster. National League manager Tony La Russa named Yost to be part of his coaching staff for the 2005 MLB All-Star Game.

Yost's tenure oversaw a revitalization of the Brewers franchise, leading them from losing records to championship contender. However, his teams were plagued by inconsistency, most notably squandering a large lead in the division during the 2007 season and a significant advantage in the wild card race in 2008. Yost finished seventh in voting for Manager of the Year in 2007. While he wore No. 5 on his jersey as a player with the Brewers, as a manager, he wore No. 3 on his jersey as a tribute to his close friend, deceased NASCAR racer and baseball fan Dale Earnhardt.[2]

Yost was fired on September 15, 2008, after a two-week skid by the Brewers. Third-base coach Dale Sveum was named as his interim replacement and served until the end of the season, leading the Brewers to clinch the wild card spot on the last day of the season for their first trip to the postseason since 1982 when they made it to the World Series. They were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.

Following the 2009 season, Yost was a candidate to be the next manager of the Houston Astros, however the position was filled by Brad Mills.

On May 13, 2010, Yost was named manager of the Kansas City Royals, replacing Trey Hillman. On February 14, 2012 the Royals announced they had signed Yost to a contract extension through the 2013 season. The team has posted an overall record of 126–163 with Yost at the helm.

Criticism

Yost's managing came under fire late in 2007. During the 2007 season, the Brewers held a 8-1/2 game division lead over the Cubs by June 23 but failed to hold on to the advantage, finishing 2 games behind the Cubs. Yost's bullpen management, lineup strategies, and bench management were blamed. He also was thrown out of three games in the last week of the season, leading some reporters to question his ability to handle the pressure. General Manager Doug Melvin announced, however, that Yost would return for the 2008 season.

He was released as manager on September 15, 2008, after being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in a four game series. The sweep resulted in the loss of a four game wild card lead. Yost was replaced by 3rd base coach Dale Sveum. Under Sveum, the Brewers went 7–5 for the remaining 12 games of the season and clinched the NL Wild Card.

Family

His son, Ned Yost IV, is a coach in the Brewers' farm system. He is the hitting coach for the Brevard County Manatees, Class A Advanced minor league team. He played first base for the Class-A Brevard County Manatees in 2007, his third season in the minors, hitting .248 with a .283 slugging percentage.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2006
• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2007
• List of Major League Baseball managers in 2008

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)