Spokane Indians Remember Bart Shirley
Four-year MLB veteran and longtime Spokane Indians player Bart Shirley, who appeared in a franchise-record 997 games between the 1963-1970, has died. He was 85 years old. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bart Shirley, one of the most well-known and respected figures in the history of our
Four-year MLB veteran and longtime Spokane Indians player Bart Shirley, who appeared in a franchise-record 997 games between the 1963-1970, has died. He was 85 years old.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bart Shirley, one of the most well-known and respected figures in the history of our franchise," said Spokane Indians Senior Vice President Otto Klein. "Bart was a stalwart in Spokane's lineup for nearly a decade and a key part of one of the greatest MiLB teams of all time—the legendary 1970 Spokane Indians. Our thoughts are with his family and friends in this difficult time."
A native of Corpus Christi, TX, Shirley was two-sport star in baseball and football in high school and continued to play both sports collegiately while attending the University of Texas. He was named All-Southwest Conference shortstop as a sophomore and also played in the 1960 Cotton Bowl with the Longhorns football team.
Shirley signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961 and began his professional career with the Atlanta Crackers that same year. He reached Spokane in 1963 (5 HR, 45 RBI in 138 G) and received his first big league call-up by the Dodgers the following season. Shirley would received limited MLB playing time in parts of three seasons with Los Angeles (1964, 1966, and 1968) and one with the New York Mets (1967), receiving just 162 at-bats at the big league level in 75 career games.
The infielder's best season with the Indians came in 1969, when he slashed .302/.371/.389 with 27 doubles and 54 RBI in 128 games. Shirley recorded a career-high .401 OBP in 139 games with Spokane in 1970—his final MiLB season—as the Indians rolled to a Pacific Coast League championship. He played for two more years in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons, tallying a career-best 12 home runs in his last season as a professional player (1972).
Shirley spent three years as a minor league manager in the Dodgers organization and two as a coach in Japan with the Dragons before returning to Corpus Christi. The Texas native stayed closed to the game in his hometown, participating in amateur slowpitch softball and serving as an usher with the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field. The team honored their local hero Shirley with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
ABOUT THE SPOKANE INDIANS
The Spokane Indians are the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies located in Spokane Valley, Wash. The Indians have played at Avista Stadium, home to the MultiCare Kids Bench Seat, since 1958 and have been a proud member of the Spokane community since 1903. Parking at all Spokane Indians games is FREE. The Spokane Indians Front Office and Team Store are open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.