Atlanta Daily World

Yankees'
Marshall
Bridges
Working
In Jackson,
Miss.

By CLIFF SESSIONS

JACKSON, MISS. (UPI) Marshall Bridges, a Negro, is a pretty good janitor at the state capitol here. Bridges, 30, also is considered a pretty good left handed major league relief pitcher. He was recently acquired by the New York Yankees. For two years, Bridges has been packing his bags every February heading for baseball training camps. He returns each fall and spends most off-season months on his capitol job. During a good week at the capitol Bridges' salary and tips will total so roughly 15 per cent of his weekly baseball earnings. But, putting his broom aside, the rugged 180-pounder commented. "this is not a bad job as far as temporary jobs go. I might could find something better somewhere else, but Jackson is my hometown and I want to stay here. Home has never been nowhere but here for" Bridges, the father of three, is buying a home here. His first break in baseball occurred here when, as a teenager, he got a job cleaning the club house of the Jackson Senators of the now-defunct Class B Southeastern League. The team manager, ex-big league hurler Wills Hudlin noticed the youngster tossing balls around the club house with his co-workers and passed along a few tips that increased Bridges' ability and interest. "And I learned a lot hanging around those players" says Bridges. When he was 16, Bridges got a job at the capitol, and on the weekends, played semi-pro baseball. Four years later he turned pro joining a Memphis, Tenn., Negro team. He hit the big leagues in 1959 as a St. Louis Cardinal and a year later went with Cincinnati. Because of shoulder trouble, Bridges said, he spent most of last season with the Reds' International League farm club at Jersey City where he won 6 and lost 8, but he was called up by Cincinnati during the successful pennant drive. The Yankees, who have become adept at getting so-so moundsmen and turning them into ace reliefers got interested in Bridges and made several attempts to buy him. Earlier this month, they traded catcher Jesse Gonder for him. "Well I'll be dog," Bridges exclaimed in happy surprise when he learned of the trade. Later he said he figures "any player would like to be traded to the Yankees." The Yanks have him pegged as a very hard worker with a good fast ball and slider, and general manager Roy Hamey says he's hoping Bridges will bolster the New York bullpen next season. Bridges hopes so too. But at the moment he's bolstering the Mississippi capitol's janitorial staff. His boss House of Representatives clerk Roman Kelly, says Bridges is a "fine worker, very industrious. He does a good job".