by Mark Langill
Infielder Bart Shirley, a member of the Dodgers’ 1966 National League championship team, passed away on Nov. 19 in his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. He was 85.
In parts of three seasons with the Dodgers between 1964 and 1968, Shirley slashed .204/.267/.241/.508 in 75 games with 11 RBI.
The Dodgers signed the University of Texas product as an amateur free agent in 1961. He made his Major League debut on Sept. 14, 1964. He started at shortstop and went 0-for-4 in a 7–2 loss at home against the Pirates.
The following day, Shirley went 3-for-4, including his first career hit against Pittsburgh right-hander Bob Friend in the second inning.
After the 1966 season, the New York Mets selected Shirley in the Rule 5 Draft. He was returned to the Dodgers on May 18, 1967, after appearing in six games with the Mets.
When Fresco Thompson replaced Buzzie Bavasi as the Dodgers’ executive vice president in June 1968, one of his first transactions was promoting Shirley from Triple-A Spokane to Los Angeles.
Shirley appeared in a career-high 39 games with the Dodgers in 1968. He batted .181 with four RBI.
Shirley returned to Spokane for the 1969 and 1970 seasons. He played two seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League in 1971 and 1972.
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