Merritt was born in Independence, Kansas, in 1900.\n', '

Merritt had his major league debut on August 24, 1921, replacing 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. However, he did not perform well in the field, having an .882 fielding percentage (60 points lower than the league average in 1921 for shortstops) and a 2.65 range factor (2.50 points lower than the league average that year for shortstops).\n', '

On March 31, 1922, after the Tigers signed Topper Rigney at shortstop, Merritt was farmed out to the minor league Augusta Tygers. Merritt was assigned to play as a third baseman for Augusta. In early April, one newspaper called Merritt as "the Kansas City flash" and added: "If in the league games that are to come, this boy shows a part of the class that he exhibited on Monday afternoon, [Detroit manager] Ty Cobb will have earned the enduring gratitude of the Augusta fans."\n', '

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