The great Rocky Bridges

Recently, I was researching to write a story about former Royal manager Bob Lemon (which will be out in a few weeks) and came across another colorful baseball character whose story resonated with me. I normally try to stick to stories about current and former Royals, but when I started reading about Rocky Bridges, I just had to dig further.

First his name. Rocky. Bridges. How great is that? Baseball history is littered with great names. Names like John Boccabella, Dick Pole, Stubby Clapp, Razor Shines, Dizzy Trout and a couple of former Royals: Pete LaCock and the immortal Rusty Kuntz, just to name a few. I’d always thought the baseball character Rusty Bridges, in the movie Meet the Fockers,…