Career
Born in Independence, Kansas, Merritt made his major league debut on August 24, 1921, and replaced Donie Bush as the Tigers" shortstop for the last month of the 1921 season. In 20 games, Merritt hit for an impressive.370 batting average with a.478 slugging percentage. (The 1921 Tigers had a team batting average of 316—the highest team batting average in major league history) Merritt did not perform well in the field, having a.882 fielding percentage (60 points lower than the league average for shortstops) and a 2.65 range factor (250 points lower than the league average for shortstops).
In 1922, the Tigers signed Topper Rigney at shortstop and demoted Merritt to the minor league Augusta Tygers.
On his way to play for Augusta, Merritt was involved in a car accident that paralyzed him from the waist down, ending his career. He died in Kansas City, Missouri at age 26 in 1927.