In a previous entry on Rocky Bridges (1927-2015) and his career in baseball, I promised more on him – here are several links to what others have written.

Tribute articles:

1) Weber remembers the late Rocky Bridges
By Pete Weber of the Buffalo Bisons. 01/31/2015.

“It was his approach to baseball and life that made him so special”

This article is notable because it contains two playable MP3’s of interviews with Rocky.

1989 – Manager of the Salem, Virginia Buccaneers, a Pittsburgh Pirate affiliate.

2) Rocky Bridges (1927-2015).  In FutilityInfielder.com, a category-leading blog & website by Jay Jaffe.  2/3/15.

“When Don Zimmer passed away last June after 66 years in baseball, I called him the ultimate futility infielder. Allow me to amend that, for Rocky Bridges, who died last week at the age of 87, was every bit as worthy of that title, and every bit as much an inspiration for this site. The secret of futility infielders is their ability to thrive despite their shortcomings in talent, thanks to persistence, flexibility and a command of fundamentals that go well beyond the playing field. They’re the laces that hold the leather together, the very soul of baseball.”

Lots more interesting stuff in this blog post!  Plus references to books which discuss Rocky.

3) An appreciation of Long Beach baseball great Rocky Bridges in The Long Beach Press Telegram, 2/3/15.

4) “The importance of Rocky Bridges,” Jamey Newberg, The Newberg Report (“Covering the Rangers from Top to Bottom”), 2/4/15.

(Manager of the Texas Rangers, Jeff ) “Bannister recalls Bridges, who I’ve learned in the last few days was one of the game’s all-time great characters, as having an uncanny ability to manage men, striking the perfect balance between stern and serious on the one hand, and keeping things light and loose on the other.”

5) R.I.P. ROCKY BRIDGES.  At  The American Spectator, Larry Thornberry, a writer in Tampa, offers a sympathetic recollection of Rocky.  2/6/15.

“I was never formally introduced to the Rock. But I enjoyed a brush with him and his Cincinnati Reds teammates in the early and mid-fifties when the Reds trained in spring at Plant Field in Tampa. Plant Field was an old pile even then, and very open. So it was easy to mix and mingle with the players in those less formal, less security-conscious days. My pals and I liked Rocky because he was always chattering and would take time to talk with the scrum of pre-teen boys who collected outside the clubhouse. We also liked him because at 5-8, he wasn’t much taller than we were.”

Pre-posthumous articles:

“I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad,”Gilbert Rogin, Sports Illustrated, 8/18/64.

This full-length article features Rocky and offers a window on minor league ball; it predates the movie Bull Durham.

“The Return of Rocky: A Welcome Sequel: In His 39^th Pro Season, Giant Coach is Just Looking for Place to Spit,” by Ross Newhan, Los Angeles Times.  3/25/85.

Rocky Bridges, the most colorful character in Valley baseball history by Bob Young.  The Arizona Republic 10/14/10.

“For Rocky Bridges, baseball really was fun and games,” Jerry Crowe, Angeles Times, 7/24/11.

Reference sites:

Baseball-Reference is a compendium of facts on major league ballplayers.  See Rocky Bridges.

Wikipedia’s entry on Rocky Bridges.

Reverse of the Salem Buccaneer card