Bobby Bragan from the Chronology

Aug 16, 2005 - At age 87‚ Bobby Bragan makes a historic appearance as the oldest manager of a pro baseball team. Bragan takes over at the helm of the Fort Worth Cats to surpass Connie Mack's record by 8 days. True to form he gets tossed in the 3rd inning when he asks why the ump ejected one of his players. When told that the player had said the ump was calling a lousy game‚ Bragan said he agreed with the player.

May 7, 1976 - At Honolulu's Aloha Stadium‚ in a PCL game between the Tacoma Twins and Hawaii‚ Twins P Bill Butler ignores the stadium ban against metal cleats and begins warming up. Stadium officials then turn the outfield lights off‚ and after 30 minutes of darkness‚ umpire Bill Lawson forfeits the game to Tacoma. PCL President Roy Jackson supports the umpire‚ but a few weeks later‚ Minor League head Bobby Bragan overrules Jackson and orders the game replayed.

Apr 7, 1976 - At Aloha Stadium in Hawaii‚ a controversy arises about metal cleats prior to a PCL game with Tacoma. Despite the ban on the cleats in the stadium‚ Tacoma P Bill Butler insists on wearing them and stadium officials switch off the lights during warm-up. Thirty minutes to game‚ umpire Bill Lawton awards a forfeit to Tacoma since the home team is responsible for playing conditions. The PCL will uphold the forfeit‚ but minor league prexy Bobby Bragan will overrule it (according to historian Rich Marazzi).

Aug 9, 1966 - The Braves fire Bobby Bragan (52-59) and install coach Billy Hitchcock as their new manager.

Jul 30, 1965 - Milwaukee manager Bobby Bragan says his pitchers threw 75 to 80 spitballs in a 9-2 loss to the Giants. Bragan says he ordered the spitters to prove rules against them are not being enforced.

Jun 26, 1958 - Joe Gordon replaces Bobby Bragan as manager of the Cleveland Indians‚ signing a contract through 1959.

Sep 29, 1957 - Bobby Bragan signs with Cleveland to replace manager Kirby Ferrell‚ released two days ago.

Aug 3, 1957 - The news that Danny Murtaugh will succeed Bobby Bragan as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates is leaked to the press‚ and Bragan hears it on the radio before Joe L. Brown can inform him.

Jul 31, 1957 - The Pirates lose to the Braves‚ in first place by 1/2 game‚ and Bob Buhl 4-2. Bucs manager Bobby Bragan is ejected in the bottom of the 5th for making obscene gestures. Before he departs‚ he strolls onto the field sipping an orange drink through a straw and offers the umpires a sip. Two days later Bragan will be fired by the Pirates.

Nov 2, 1955 - The Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager‚ replacing Fred Haney.

Jul 10, 1943 - Today's Dodger game is almost anticlimactic to a pregame attempted strike by the players following Leo Durocher's 3-game suspension of P Bobo Newsom‚ the team's leading pitcher with 9 wins‚ for insubordination. Minutes before the game‚ SS Arky Vaughan handed his uniform to Durocher and refused to play. Durocher called for volunteers to play‚ but by game time he had just a battery of Curt Davis and Bobby Bragan. Branch Rickey intervened‚ and Vaughan and the others agreed to play. Vaughan and Durocher will never make up and Vaughan will sit out the next 3 seasons‚ ostensibly to help the war effort by farming‚ rather than play for The Lip. Only with Durocher's suspension in 1947 will the future Hall of Famer return to the Dodgers. Newsom‚ 9-4‚ will be traded to the Browns on July 15th. When the game‚ designated "Kitchen Fat Day" to allow women a free ticket if they bring one pound of fat to the game (5‚002 pounds of fat are collected for the war effort) finally starts‚ the Dodgers wallop the Pirates 23-6‚ scoring the most runs they will in a game the rest of this century. Only twice in team history have they scored more: 25‚ on May 20‚ 1896 and September 23‚ 1901.

Jul 30, 1942 - The Phillies defeat the visiting Reds‚ 4-2‚ with SS Bobby Bragan catching all 9 innings. Bragan caught part of the game on the 24th and for the rest of his career will be behind the plate most often.

Aug 13, 1941 - 3B coach Leo Durocher admits to napping as the Phils Bobby Bragan nabs Dixie Walker at 2B with the hidden ball trick. The Dodgers still win‚ 7-2‚ behind Davis.

Sep 2, 1940 - Recent call-up Danny Litwhiler drives in 8 runs on 6 hits to lead the Phils to a sweep of the Giants at Shibe Park. Kirby Higbe wins the opener‚ 11-2‚ and Litwhiler has a grand slam. The Phils win the nitecap‚ 6-5‚ on Bobby Bragan's 10th inning HR.