Goodbye Rocky

• I was saddened to hear that Rocky Bridges passed away a few days ago at the age of 87. Rocky managed the AAA Phoenix Giants from 1974-1982. I have lots of good memories of attending games at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Bridges was a popular guy who kept the crowd entertained.
• Here is a good 2011 article about Rocky from the Los Angeles Times.
• My favorite Rocky Bridges quotes:
• "I can't spell Albuquerque, but sure can smell it."
• "Tommy Lasorda's curve ball had as much hang time as a Ray Guy punt."
• Brendan C.  Boyd and Fred Harris had a great write-up about Rocky in The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book. Here is part of it:
• "Rocky Bridges looked like a ballplayer. In fact he probably looked more like a ballplayer than any ballplayer who ever lived. His head looked like a sack full of rusty nails, he kept about six inches of chewing tobacco lodged permanently in the upper recesses of his left cheek, and his uniform always looked like he had just slept in it, which he probably had."

1977 Phoenix Giants #26 - Rocky Bridges

• This is one of the cards I received from Number 5 Type Collection.
• Rocky Bridges was a popular guy in Phoenix. He managed the AAA Phoenix Giants from 1974 through 1982.
• Rocky managed in the minors for a total of 20 seasons.
• Here is a 1964 Sports Illustrated article about Bridges.
• Bridges was interviewed for the San Francisco Giants managing job after the 1976 season but he said he preferred to stay in Phoenix.
• Rocky managed the Phoenix Giants to the 1977 Pacific Coast League pennant.
• Bridges left the Phoenix Giants after the 1982 season to become a scout.
• Rocky was the third base coach for San Francisco in 1985. According to Sports Illustrated, " Rocky Bridges, San Francisco Giants coach, on why he refuses to eat snails: "I prefer fast food."
• Here is an article that was in the Arizona Republic on 14 October 2010.
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1976 Phoenix Giants #17 - Bruce Christensen

• Bruce Christensen had a long minor league career. He played from 1966 through 1976 (except for 1969 and 1970)
• Christensen retired after batting .240 for Phoenix in 1976.
• Bruce was called up to the California Angels in mid-July 1971 and stayed with the club for the rest of the year. It was the only stint he had in the majors
• In July 1973 Christensen was traded with pitcher Don Rose to the Giants for Ed Figueroa. 
• This is from the March 1973 issue of Baseball Digest:

A Giant Housecleaning

Chris from  was doing a housecleaning of  his cards. I claimed the Giants cards that he had. He sent these to me a few months ago but I was having scanner problems and didn't get these posted. Thanks a lot for the cards Chris!

• This is  my favorite card from this shipment. I grew up watching "Tomorrow's Major Leaguers Today" at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. I have a lot of good memories from going to Phoenix Giants games with my father, with my little league teams, and with my friends.

• Here is a 2009 Topps Christy Mathewson card. Those are some great stat lines on the back of the card!

•  Lots of 2010 Topps Heritage Giants cards

•  Some other goodies

• The whole stack of cards.
• Looks like the lens needs to be cleaned on my cell phone :).
• Thanks again Chris!

1980 Phoenix Giants

I was going through a box and came across this team-issued set from 1980. I don't remember if it was a giveaway or if I bought them. I was in 8th grade at the time. The backs have some vital statistics (height, weight, etc); a stat line from the previous (1979) season; and an offer for a premium team card. It was five coupons plus 75 cents.

• Mike Williams pitched in the minors from 1974-1981 but never made it to the majors. He spent his last two years in Phoenix.

• Mike Tufts spent parts of three seasons (1981-1983) in the majors. He pitched in the minors from 1977-1983.

• Doug Schaefer never made it to the majors. He pitched in the minors from 1975-1981. His last three seasons were in Phoenix.

• Mike Rowland pitched in the minors from 1975-1982 and was in Phoenix from 1978-1982. He played for San Francisco in parts of two seasons (1980 and 1981).

• Larry Prewitt pitched in the minors from 1975-1980 and didn't make it to the majors.

• Ed Plank had two September call-ups in 1978 and 1979 and pitched a total of nine games for the San Francisco Giants. He pitched in the minors from 1973-1980 and was in Phoenix from 1976-1980.

• Phil Nastu pitched in 3 games for SF in 1978, spent most of the season in SF in 1979 (25 games, 14 starts), and pitched in 6 games in 1980. He was in the minors from 1977-1982.
  
  
• Terry Cornutt spent time in the minors from 1972-1980. He was in Phoenix from 1976-1980. He spent most of the 1977 season in SF and pitched in one game for SF in 1978.
  
  
• Fred Breining was in the majors from late 1980 to 1984. He saw a lot of action for SF from 1981-1983. His only season in Phoenix was 1980.
• Bill Bordley was in Phoenix in 1979 and 1980. He pitched for Class A Fresno in 1983. Bill pitched in eight games for SF at the end of the 1980 season. He must have been hurt in 1981 and 1982--there are no stats for him in those two seasons.
  
  
• Chris Bourjous played in 13 games for SF in 1980. That was it for his major league career. He put up nice stats for Phoenix in 1979 and 1980 but didn't stick with the big club. His minor league career was from 1977-1983.
• Max Venable is a native of Phoenix. Max played parts of 12 seasons in the majors from 1979-1991. He played in Phoenix from 1980-1982.

• Casey Parsons played twelve seasons in the minors. He spent 1978, 1979, and part of 1980 with Phoenix. He played in the majors for parts of four seasons from 1981-1987.
  


• Craig Landis played six seasons in the minor leagues but never made it to the show.
  


• Bob Kearney played in the minors from 1977-1982 and again in 1987. Even in the minors he was a light-hitting catcher -- his lifetime minor league average was .233. He played in the majors in 1979 and again from 1981-1987.
  


• Dennis Littlejohn played in two games for San Francisco in 1978 (no at bats). He played in 63 games in 1979 and 13 games in 1980. Dennis spent a total of four years in Phoenix (1978-1981).
  
  
  Jose Barrios played in ten games for San Francisco in 1982. He played in the minors from 1975-1983. He put up pretty good offensive numbers but wasn't much of a glove man.
• Mike Rex played seven seasons in the minors but never made it to the majors. He played in Phoenix from 1979-1982. Mike had a lifetime minor league average of .289.

• Rich Murray is the brother of Eddie Murray. He played in the minors from 1975-1985. Rich played half of the 1980 season with the Giants and had a cup of coffee in 1983. He played a total of six seasons in Phoenix.
  


• Joe Pettini spent parts of four seasons (1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983) with Phoenix. He played for San Francisco from 1980-1983.

• Guy Sularz spent parts of four seasons (1980-1983) with the San Francisco Giants. He also spent a lot of time with Phoenix (1978-1984). He put up nice AAA stats but couldn't do it in the majors.
  
  Rocky Bridges was very popular in Phoenix. One of his memorable quotes was, "I can't spell Albuquerque, but I sure can smell it." He managed Phoenix from 1974-1982 and managed a total of 20 seasons in the minors.
  
• Ethan Blackaby was the longtime GM for the Phoenix Giants in the 1970s and 1980s. He played a total of 15 games for the Milwaukee Braves in 1962 and 1964.
  

• These two worked for the Phoenix ball club for a long, long time.

The Giants' system was pretty dry at the AAA level in 1980. That probably contributed to the poor years they had in the mid 1980s. Out of the 22 players pictured, 16 made it to the majors but most of them didn't stay long. Oh well--it was still fun to watch the games.