Bobby Bragan (1917–2010,) born Robert Randall Bragan, was an American baseball player, manager, and executive known for his contributions to Major League Baseball (MLB) and minor league development. His career spanned seven decades, earning widespread respect.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he began playing professionally in 1937 in the Class D Alabama-Florida League. He débuted in MLB in 1940 with the Philadelphia Phillies, later playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943–44, 1947–48.) Initially a shortstop, he transitioned to catcher, appearing in 597 MLB games.
Bragan managed several teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates (1956–57,) Cleveland Indians (1958,) and Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1963–66.) He also managed in the Cuban League, leading Almendares to two championships. In 2005, at 87, he briefly managed the Fort Worth Cats, becoming the oldest manager in professional baseball history. Beyond coaching, he served as president of the Texas League and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues and founded the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, which awarded over 400 scholarships.
Biographies include Bobby Bragan: A Baseball Legend (2007) and You Can’t Hit the Ball With the Bat on Your Shoulder: The Baseball Life and Times of Bobby Bragan (1992.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Bobby Bragan
Say you were standing with one foot in the oven and one foot in an ice bucket. According to the percentage people, you would be perfectly comfortable.
—Bobby Bragan
Topics: Decisions
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