Al Bridwell

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Al Bridwell

Albert Henry Bridwell (January 4, 1884 – January 23, 1969) was an American baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1915 for several teams, most notably the New York Giants.

Baseball career:
- Bridwell was known as a solid fielder but never hit for a high average. His career batting average was .255, with 1,064 hits in 1,252 games, 95 doubles, 32 triples, 2 home runs, 457 runs scored, and 350 runs batted in. His best season batting average was .294 in 1909.
- He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1905), Boston Beaneaters/Doves (1906–1907), New York Giants (1908–1911), Boston Rustlers/Braves (1911–1912), Chicago Cubs (1913), and St. Louis Terriers (1914–1915).
- Bridwell is well known for a moment in 1908 when he hit what appeared to be a walk-off single in a game that became known as Merkle's Boner. The hit was nullified because Fred Merkle failed to touch second base, the game was ruled a tie, and the Cubs won a makeup game for the pennant.
- He never played in a World Series. Midway through the 1911 season, he was traded from the Giants to the Boston Rustlers.
- Bridwell’s feisty nature fit with John McGraw’s managing style; Bridwell once punched McGraw in the nose, earning a two-game suspension.

Personal life:
- In 1906, Bridwell married Margaret Lorraine McMahon. Their daughter, Mary Jane, was born in 1914.
- He was interviewed for Lawrence Ritter’s 1966 book The Glory of Their Times.
- Bridwell died in 1969 at age 85 in Portsmouth, Ohio.