Major league manager Bobby Bragan dies at 92

Published Jan. 22, 2010 7:13 p.m. ET

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Bobby Bragan, the longtime baseball man who managed Braves Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn, has died. He was 92.

He died Thursday night at his Fort Worth home, his Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation said.

Bragan spent seven seasons as a major league manager: Pittsburgh (1956-57), Cleveland (1958) and the Milwaukee (1963-65) and Atlanta (1966) Braves. He compiled a record of 443-478.

"He was a dear friend of mine for nearly 50 years," said commissioner Bud Selig, who met Bragan when he was manager of the Milwaukee Braves. "He had a long and wonderful baseball career as a player, coach, manager and executive."

Bragan was dubbed "Mr. Baseball" for his decades of dedication to the game. In 2005, he earned the distinction as the oldest manager of a pro baseball game. At 87, he led his former minor league team, the Fort Worth Cats.

Bragan worked in the 1970s and 1980s as the Texas Rangers' community director of public relations for the team's speakers bureau. He remained a special assistant to the club for the past 20 years. The Rangers on Friday lauded his "unmatched legacy."

Bragan was born in Birmingham, Ala., and was a shortstop and catcher during his playing days.

His foundation provides college scholarships to students from public schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.