| Al Bridwell | |
|---|---|
 1911 baseball card of Bridwell | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born:(1884-01-04)January 4, 1884 Friendship, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: January 23, 1969(1969-01-23) (aged 85) Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 16, 1905, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 23, 1915, for the St. Louis Terriers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .255 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 350 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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Albert Henry Bridwell (January 4, 1884 – January 23, 1969) was an Americanshortstop inMajor League Baseball (MLB). He played for several MLB teams, most notably theNew York Giants from 1908 to 1911, when the team was managed byJohn McGraw.
During his 11-year major league career from 1905 to 1915, Bridwell was regarded as a good fielder but never had a .300batting average. His career-high was .294 in 1909. In 1,252 career games played, Bridwell batted .255 with 1,064hits, 95doubles, 32triples, 2home runs, 457runs scored, and 350runs batted in.[1]
Bridwell is best known for hitting the apparent walk-off single which led toMerkle's Boner in a September 1908 game. The hit was nullified due to baserunnerFred Merkle's failure to touch second base, and because the crowd was already on the field, the game between the Giants andChicago Cubs was ruled a tie. The two teams ended up tied for first at the end of the season and had to play a makeup game, which the Cubs won.
Bridwell never played in aWorld Series. Midway through the 1911 season, he was traded by the Giants, who went on to play in the1911 World Series, to theBoston Rustlers.
On John McGraw's managing style, Bridwell later said: "He knew how to handle men, some players he rode and others he didn't. He got the most out of each man." Bridwell's pugnaciousness fit right in with McGraw's style of play. Bridwell once punched McGraw in the nose, earning a two-game suspension.[2]
In 1906, Bridwell married Margaret Lorraine McMahon. The couple's only child, Mary Jane, was born in 1914.[3]
Bridwell was interviewed forLawrence Ritter's 1966 bookThe Glory of Their Times. Bridwell died in 1969 at age 85.
