Area author visits Mansfield to talk on book about the late Bill Virdon

On Monday, Aug. 12, the Mansfield Area Historical Society hosted a special presentation by author David Jerome on his latest work, “Bill Virdon – A Life in Baseball.” The event drew a small crowd eager to learn more about the life and career of one of baseball’s often-overlooked legends.
David Jerome’s book details the journey of Bill Virdon, a West Plains native who made a name for himself in Major League Baseball. Virdon’s career began when he was named National League Rookie of the Year in 1955 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
He soon became a player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing center field for a decade alongside the right fielder Roberto Clemente. Virdon was instrumental in clinching the Pirates’ victory over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series.
Virdon’s managerial career was as distinguished as his playing days. Virdon managed four Major League teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros and the Montreal Expos. His leadership earned him Manager of the Year honors twice—once with the Yankees in 1974 and again with the Astros in 1980.
Even after retiring as a manager in 1984, Virdon contributed to the game as a coach until 2002.
The presentation offered attendees a deeper look into Virdon’s life, both on and off the field. Jerome shared personal anecdotes from his interviews with Virdon, starting with their first interview on Jan. 30, 2020. These stories and insights from Virdon’s wife, Shirley, cover aspects of Virdon’s career that had previously gone untold.
In addition to being an author, David Jerome is a retired U.S. Army officer, a former college professor with a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and a pastor. 
His connection to Virdon was made through his role as an associate pastor at King’s Way United Methodist Church in Springfield, where Bill and Shirley Virdon were also members. 
“I had heard there was a Major League Baseball player attending there, but didn’t know it was Bill Virdon until I started preaching,” Jerome shared during the event.
“I knew from the beginning that Bill was a person that needed to be written about.”
Virdon agreed to the biography in the fall of 2019, and the interviews continued through the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Bill passed away two years later, on Nov. 23, 2021. 
“He did see the final manuscript,” Jerome said. “He had seen the book on his life through to the end.”
Jerome’s book, “Bill Virdon – A Life in Baseball,” published by McFarland Books in 2023, is the first comprehensive biography of the baseball great.
It is available at Barnes & Noble, McFarland’s website and Amazon for $39.95.