Eddie Bressoud
A talented infielder from California, Eddie Bressoud was stuck in the Giants system before he finally got a chance to be their starting shortstop in 1959. The Giants thought so little of him that they left him unprotected in the 1961 expansion draft, and Bressoud was snatched by Houston, who dealt him to Boston. With the Red Sox, Bressoud became an All-Star shortstop, hitting 20 homers in 1963 and enjoying a career year in 1964.
Quotes From Bressoud
"I'll be back sooner than they think. If they don;t make me the shortstop next year, I'll have to hear a good reason why not." — after the Giants sent him to their Minneapolis farm team to start the 1956 season.
Played For
New York Giants (1956-1957)
San Francisco Giants (1958-1961)
Boston Red Sox (1962-1965)
New York Mets (1966)
St. Louis Cardinals (1967)
Best Season: 1964
Batted a career-best .293 in 158 games and scored 86 runs. He hit 41 doubles, 15 homers, and drew 72 walks.
Where He Played
Bressoud was a tall, lanky shortstop.
Born
Edward Francis Bressoud was born on May 2, 1932, in Los Angeles, CA.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: SS
Primary Team: SFN
Major League Debut
June 14, 1956
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1956
Frank Robinson
Luis Aparicio
Bill Mazeroski
Curt Flood
Don Drysdale
Moe Drabowsky
Tito Francona
Charlie Lau
Whitey Herzog
Related Players
Daryl Spencer blocked Bressoud's chance at the Giants' shortstop job, from 1956-1958. Bressoud never really got a chance for a full season with the Giants. If he had at a younger age, his career might have been much better.
Post-Season Appearances
1967 World Series
Hitting Streaks
20 games (1964)
Transactions
Before 1950 Season: Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent.
October 10, 1961: Drafted by the Houston Colt .45's from the San Francisco Giants in the 1961 expansion draft.
November 26, 1961: Traded by the Houston Colt .45's to the Boston Red Sox for Don Buddin.
November 30, 1965: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Mets for Joe Christopher.
April 1, 1967: Traded by the New York Mets with Danny Napoleon and cash to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jerry Buchek, Art Mahaffey, and Tony Martinez.
All-Star Selections
1964 AL
Replaced
In 1959, Bressoud finally supplanted Daryl Spencer at shortstop. The Giants seemed enamored with Spencer's power (he hit 20 homers in his first full season), and ignored his defensive deficiencies. After a few seasons leading the league in errors, he was switched to second base, and eventually left the majors to become one of the first American stars to play in Japan. He won numerous home run titles in Japan.
Replaced By
Rico Petrocelli
Learn More about Eddie Bressoud
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