Bragan to pass Connie Mack as oldest manager
July 18, 2005 - Central Baseball League (Central League)
Fort Worth Cats News Release
Bobby Bragan will pass the legendary Connie Mack and become the oldest manager in professional baseball history when he manages the Fort Worth Cats on Aug. 15 at LaGrave Field as the Cats take on the Coastal Bend Aviators at 7:05 p.m.
Bragan will be 87 years, nine months and 16 days old, making him seven days older than Connie Mack when he managed his final game for the Philadelphia Athletics on Oct. 1, 1950 against the Washington Senators.
Bragan managed for seven seasons in the big leagues, beginning with Pittsburgh in 1956 and 1957. He spent part of the 1958 season at the helm in Cleveland before getting an opportunity with Milwaukee in 1963. Bragan was the Braves' skipper until the team relocated in 1966 and he became the first skipper in Atlanta Braves history.
He gained legendary status in Fort Worth for his role as player/manager for the Dodgers' Double-A farm team, the Fort Worth Cats from 1948-1952. During that stretch, the Cats never finished below .500 and won the Texas League pennant twice.
His playing career lasted seven seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers. He got a hit in his only World Series at bat in 1947 with the Dodgers.
Bragan makes his home in Fort Worth and now serves as Chairman/CEO of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, which provides college scholarships to eighth grade students. Along with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroads, Bragan in 2004 introduced the BNSF "Fair Poles" to LaGrave Field, home of the Fort Worth Cats, making it the only ballpark in America with "fair poles" instead of "foul poles".
Mack, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, has the most wins of any manager in baseball history with 3,731. His managerial career began in 1894 with Pittsburgh. He became the Philadelphia A's manager in 1901 and managed the team until he retired in 1950.
Overall, Mack managed in more than 7,000 major league games. He played in the big leagues from 1886-1896 with Washington and Pittsburgh.
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- Bragan to pass Connie Mack as oldest manager - Fort Worth Cats
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