Norman Kay, 74; Bridge’s Top Player From 1957 to 1977

Norman Kay, 74, often known as the “Babe Ruth of Bridge” because of his skill at the card game, died Thursday in Philadelphia of a pulmonary embolism.

The American Contract Bridge League named Kay its top North American player from 1957 to 1977. He was inducted into the Bridge Hall of Fame in 1996 and often represented the United States in international competition, although he never won a world championship.

Kay played with the same tournament partner for more than 40 years, hall-of-famer Edgar Kaplan, who died in 1997. Kay grew up in Merchantville and started playing bridge in 1944 as a high school senior.

He continued to play bridge as a hobby during his 38-year career at Merrill Lynch, winning 14 national team championships and countless regional and lower-profile titles. He amassed more than 13,000 master points, which are awarded under a complicated formula that measures achievement in competitive play.