Rocky Bridges facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky Bridges |
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Bridges in 1959
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| Infielder | |||
| Born: August 7, 1927 Refugio, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: January 27, 2015 (aged 87) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 1951, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1961, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .247 | ||
| Home runs | 16 | ||
| Runs batted in | 187 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Everett Lamar "Rocky" Bridges (born August 7, 1927 – died January 27, 2015) was a professional baseball player. He played as a middle infielder and third baseman. Rocky had an 11-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB). This was from 1951 to 1961.
Bridges played for several teams during his career. These included the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Redlegs, and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League. He also played for the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Angels in the American League.
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Rocky Bridges' Baseball Career
Rocky Bridges was born in Texas. He went to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. He became a "journeyman" player, meaning he played for many different teams.
Starting with the Dodgers
Rocky made his first big-league appearance in 1951. He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a utility infielder. This means he could play different positions in the infield. He often played behind two famous players. These were Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson. Because of this, he did not play very often.
Moving to Other Teams
Later, Rocky was traded to the Cincinnati Redlegs. This team is now known as the Cincinnati Reds. After that, he went to the Washington Senators. This team was not doing very well at the time. With the Senators, Rocky became a starting shortstop. This meant he played almost every game.
In 1958, he had a special moment. He was chosen for the 1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This was a big highlight in his career. New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel picked him for the team. Rocky's playing career continued until 1961. He played for several more American League teams. His final batting average was .247. He hit 16 home runs.
More Than Just Stats
Even though his stats might not seem super impressive, Rocky was well-liked. He was known for his hard work and great sense of humor. In 1964, Sports Illustrated magazine called him "one of the best stand up comics in the history of baseball." He was a fun player to watch and be around.
Rocky Bridges as a Coach and Manager
After he stopped playing, Rocky became a baseball coach. He was the third base coach for the Angels. He did this from 1962 to 1963 and again from 1968 to 1971. He also coached for the San Francisco Giants in 1985.
Managing Minor League Teams
Rocky also spent a long time as a manager in minor league teams. He managed teams for the Angels, Giants, San Diego Padres, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He managed for 21 seasons, from 1964 to 1989. His teams won 1,300 games. They lost 1,358 games.
His time as a minor league manager is even mentioned in a book. It's called I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad. This book was written by Jim Bouton. Rocky also led the Leones de Ponce team to a championship. This was in the Puerto Rico Baseball League in 1968–69.
Rocky Bridges' Legacy
The title of Jim Bouton's book, I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad, was reportedly based on something Rocky Bridges once said. Another book, "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book," said something special about him. It said, "Rocky Bridges looked like a ballplayer. In fact, he may have looked more like a ballplayer than any other ballplayer who ever lived." This means he just had that classic baseball look.
Rocky Bridges passed away on January 27, 2015. He was 87 years old. He died in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
