Rocky Bridges

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=#c6011f
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Rocky Bridges
position=Infielder
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1927|8|7
debutdate=April 17
debutyear=by|1951
debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers
finaldate=October 1
finalyear=by|1961
finalteam=Los Angeles Angels
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.247
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=562
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=187
teams=
*Brooklyn Dodgers (1951-1952)
*Cincinnati Reds (1953-1957)
*Washington Senators (1957-1958)
*Detroit Tigers (1959-1960)
*Cleveland Indians (1960)
*St. Louis Cardinals (1960)
*Los Angeles Angels (1961)
highlights=
*AL All-Star in by|1958

Everett Lamar "Rocky" Bridges (born August 7, 1927, in Refugio, Texas) is a former utility infielder with an 11-year career in American Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1961. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of the American League. He appeared at second base, shortstop, third base and, occasionally, in the outfield.

Bridges had a career batting average of .247 and never hit more than 5 home runs or stole more than 6 bases in a season. Nevertheless, he was elected to the American League All-Star team in 1958.

Following his active playing career, he served two terms (1962-63; 1968-71) as the third-base coach of the Angels and one year (1985) in that role with the San Francisco Giants. He also had a long career as a minor league manager in the Angels, Giants, San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations. Over 21 seasons stretched between 1964 and 1989, Bridges' teams won 1,300 games and lost 1,358 (.489).

His minor league managerial career is profiled in Jim Bouton's collection of baseball articles and essays entitled "I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad".

Quotes

* "I'm a handsome, debonaire, easy-going six-footer. Anyway, that's what I told them at the Braille Institute."

* "It was a good thing I was in Cincinnati for four years—it took me that long to learn how to spell it."

* "(Sitting on the bench as a major leaguer) was like being a little boy forever. I got a big charge out of "seeing" Ted Williams hit. Once in a while they let me try to field some of them, which sort of dimmed my enthusiasm."

* (On being asked by Chuck Dressen if he was willing to play third base to prolong his career) "Hell, yes. I'll mow your lawn if you like—I want to stay up here."

* (On his career, and relative lack of success in the majors) "I've been a paid spectator at some pretty interesting events, and I've always had a good seat. I guess they figured there was no point in carrying a good thing too far."

"The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book", Brendan C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris, Little Brown & Co, 1973, began a lengthy writeup next to a picture of a baseball card of the square-jawed, crew-cut, tobacco-chewing Bridges on p.103: "Rocky Bridges looked like a ballplayer. In fact, he may have looked more like a ballplayer than any other ballplayer who ever lived."

ources

* Bouton, Jim and Offen, Neil. "I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad" (1973). New York; Dell.
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bridgro01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com]