Rocky Bridges was a local kid who signed with the Dodgers out of Polytechnic High School in Long Beach. He rose through the Brooklyn ranks until he got his chance with the Dodgers in 1951. From then on, he bounced around the league; playing for 7 different franchises over a 11-year Major League career.
After his playing days, Bridges managed in the minors and coached in the Big Leagues. He was highly regarded for his enthusiasm for the game. As stated by Jim Bouton (in a story written by Jerry Crowe in the LA Times):
"In fact, I've never even met him," Bouton wrote in his 1973 collection of short stories, "I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad," which took its title from a Bridges quote. "However, I've spent a good piece of my life sitting in bullpens around the country listening to different ballplayers talk about how much fun it was when they played for Rocky Bridges. …The card featured in this post is a 2011 Topps Lineage certified autographed card of Brooklyn Dodger Rocky Bridges.
"The reason Bridges was a great manager was that he understood that baseball is supposed to be mainly fun."
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