Athletes - Eddie Lopat

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	Athletes - Eddie Lopat

Edmund Walter "Eddie" Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 - June 15, 1992) was a Major League Baseball pitcher.

Lopat was born in New York, New York. His first Major League game was on April 30, 1944, playing for the Chicago White Sox.

He was traded to the New York Yankees on February 24, 1948 for Aaron Robinson, Bill Wight, and Fred Bradley. From 1948 to 1954 he was the third of the "Big Three" of the Yankees' pitching staff, together with Allie Reynolds and Vic Raschi. Since Reynolds and Raschi were fastball pitchers, Lopat's slower "junk" pitches frustrated enemy batters. He pitched in the All-Star Game in 1951 for the American League. In 1953 he led the AL in both earned-run average and won/lost percentage.

On July 30, 1955 he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Jim McDonald and cash, finishing out the season and retiring from Major League Baseball. Over his 12-year AL career, Lopat won 166 games, losing 112 (.597) with an ERA of 3.21.

Lopat managed at AAA Richmond for the Yankees in the late 1950s, and in 1960 served one season as the Yanks' pitching coach before holding the same post with the Minnesota Twins in 1961 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1962. In 1963 Lopat was tapped to manage the Athletics and continued in this role until June 11, 1964. His major league managerial record was only 90-124 (.421). Lopat stayed on as a senior front office aide to tempestuous team owner Charlie Finley until the club moved to Oakland after the 1967 season.

He was sometimes known as "The Junk Man," but better-known as "Steady Eddie."

He died in Darien, Connecticut.

Eddie won 5 World Series during his career.

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