Tommy Bridges, baseball player, 1930-1946

Tommy Bridges

Born: 12/28/1906 in Gordonsville, TN, USA

Died: 4/19/1968 in Nashville, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-08-13 | Final Game: 1946-07-20

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges

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Biography

Tommy Bridges was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1930 until 1946. Born in 1906, Bridges carved out a successful career primarily with the Detroit Tigers, showcasing his skills in an era characterized by strong competition and evolving pitching styles. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 194 wins and 138 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.57. His striking ability was highlighted by 1,674 strikeouts, along with 10 saves, reflecting his versatility on the mound. A six-time All-Star, Bridges was known for his exceptional command and durability, making him a mainstay in the Tigers' rotation during the 1930s and 1940s. He played a significant role in the team's success during a transformative period in baseball, contributing to the competitive landscape of the American League. Bridges' legacy is remembered not just for his statistics, but also for his influence on the game during a time when pitching was becoming increasingly specialized, setting the stage for future generations of pitchers.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1935 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1935 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
194 138 424 362 200 33 10 2826.3 2675 1122 181 1192 1674 3.57 0

Career ERA 3.57 vs. league average 4.10 across their career seasons — 12.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1930 DET AL 3 2 8 5 2 0 0 37.7 28 17 23 17 4.06 4.80 (+15%) -1060.5
1931 DET AL 8 16 35 23 8 2 0 173.0 182 96 108 105 4.99 4.10 (-22%) -3028.7
1932 DET AL 14 12 34 26 10 4 1 201.0 174 75 119 108 3.36 4.13 (+19%) -3262.9
1933 DET AL 14 12 33 28 17 2 2 233.0 192 80 110 120 3.09 3.86 (+20%) 214.6
1934 DET AL 22 11 36 35 23 3 1 275.0 249 112 104 151 3.67 4.29 (+15%) 1787.6
1935 DET AL 21 10 36 34 23 4 1 274.3 277 107 113 163 3.51 4.35 (+19%) 247.7
1936 DET AL 23 11 39 38 26 5 0 294.7 289 118 115 175 3.60 4.59 (+21%) 2105.8
1937 DET AL 15 12 34 31 18 3 0 245.3 267 111 91 138 4.07 4.34 (+6%) 2044.9
1938 DET AL 13 9 25 20 13 0 1 151.0 171 77 58 101 4.59 4.35 (-6%) 760.4
1939 DET AL 17 7 29 26 16 2 2 198.0 186 77 61 129 3.50 4.28 (+18%) 4032.9
1940 DET AL 12 9 29 28 12 2 0 197.7 171 74 88 133 3.37 4.21 (+20%) 2558.9
1941 DET AL 9 12 25 22 10 1 0 147.7 128 56 70 90 3.41 3.94 (+13%) 105.2
1942 DET AL 9 7 23 22 11 2 1 174.0 164 53 61 97 2.74 3.57 (+23%) 2426.1
1943 DET AL 12 7 25 22 11 3 0 191.7 159 51 61 124 2.39 3.50 (+32%) 2895.2
1945 DET AL 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 11.0 14 4 2 6 3.27 3.67 (+11%) -239.4
1946 DET AL 1 1 9 1 0 0 1 21.3 24 14 8 17 5.91 3.59 (-64%) -918.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
424 1003 83 181 27 8 0 72 0 74 271 0.180 0.237 0.223 0.460 -6216.1

Career AVG .180 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — 33.5% below league average.

Career OBP .237 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 29.7% below league average.

Career SLG .223 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 41.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.460 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 36.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1930 DET AL 8 10 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.300 — — — — 0.0
1931 DET AL 35 54 4 8 0 0 0 1 0 5 23 0.148 .276 (-46%) .338 (-35%) .388 (-62%) .726 (-49%) -445.7
1932 DET AL 34 67 5 11 1 1 0 4 0 7 24 0.164 .275 (-40%) .335 (-27%) .391 (-47%) .726 (-38%) -429.1
1933 DET AL 33 78 5 16 2 2 0 5 0 7 17 0.205 .270 (-24%) .329 (-18%) .377 (-25%) .707 (-22%) -290.7
1934 DET AL 36 98 7 12 2 0 0 10 0 7 25 0.122 .278 (-56%) .340 (-47%) .392 (-64%) .733 (-56%) -948.5
1935 DET AL 36 109 9 26 5 1 0 10 0 6 24 0.239 .279 (-15%) .342 (-19%) .399 (-24%) .742 (-22%) -425.9
1936 DET AL 39 118 10 25 4 1 0 15 0 3 26 0.212 .283 (-25%) .349 (-34%) .404 (-35%) .753 (-34%) -745.8
1937 DET AL 34 96 9 23 2 1 0 8 0 5 26 0.240 .276 (-13%) .342 (-19%) .398 (-29%) .740 (-25%) -413.8
1938 DET AL 25 54 5 7 1 1 0 3 0 6 17 0.130 .272 (-52%) .341 (-37%) .392 (-53%) .734 (-45%) -422.4
1939 DET AL 29 71 11 14 2 0 0 6 0 8 24 0.197 .274 (-28%) .342 (-19%) .393 (-43%) .735 (-31%) -369.7
1940 DET AL 29 68 5 12 2 0 0 4 0 3 23 0.176 .267 (-34%) .335 (-37%) .387 (-47%) .722 (-42%) -488.8
1941 DET AL 25 47 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 4 11 0.085 — — — — -486.1
1942 DET AL 23 63 5 6 1 1 0 2 0 5 12 0.095 .253 (-62%) .323 (-50%) .349 (-59%) .672 (-55%) -552.5
1943 DET AL 25 64 4 14 3 0 0 3 0 5 14 0.219 .255 (-15%) .324 (-15%) .346 (-23%) .671 (-19%) -197.2
1945 DET AL 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1946 DET AL 9 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 18 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 8 0.111

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1945 WS DET 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1940 WS DET 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1935 WS DET 2 8 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0.125
1934 WS DET 3 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.143

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
4 1 7 5 0 46.0 52 18 9 27 3.52

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1945 WS DET 0 0 1 0 0 1.7 3 3 3 1 16.20
1940 WS DET 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 10 3 1 5 3.00
1935 WS DET 2 0 2 2 0 18.0 18 5 4 9 2.50
1934 WS DET 1 1 3 2 0 17.3 21 7 1 12 3.63

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 424 0 144 469 24 23

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 DET P 8 0 0 7 1 0
1931 DET P 35 0 5 27 2 0
1932 DET P 34 0 5 34 2 1
1933 DET P 33 0 9 49 3 5
1934 DET P 36 0 6 42 2 2
1935 DET P 36 0 15 39 2 4
1936 DET P 39 0 19 51 2 3
1937 DET P 34 0 14 46 1 2
1938 DET P 25 0 8 19 2 0
1939 DET P 29 0 8 28 3 2
1940 DET P 29 0 4 30 2 0
1941 DET P 25 0 15 30 1 1
1942 DET P 23 0 15 32 1 2
1943 DET P 25 0 18 28 0 1
1945 DET P 4 0 2 4 0 0
1946 DET P 9 0 1 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 424

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 1927, 1928, 1929

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 7.0 336 0
1936 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 25.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 11.0 80 0