James Alton Bragan (March 12, 1929 – June 2, 2001) was an
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
, manager and league president in American
minor league baseball, a
scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
* Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
**Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
and
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
at the
Major League level, and a
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
coach during a 40-plus year career in the game. He was the brother of MLB
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...
,
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
, manager and coach
Bobby Bragan
Robert Randall Bragan (October 30, 1917 – January 21, 2010) was an American shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball and an influential minor league executive. His professional baseball career encompassed 73 years, from hi ...
, also a minor league president.
Born in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, Jimmy Bragan attended
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
and signed with the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californ ...
in 1950. When his eight-year playing career ended, he became the manager of the Class D
Bluefield Dodgers Bluefield may refer to:
* Bluefield, Virginia, US
*Bluefield, West Virginia, US
* Nvidia BlueField, a line of computer hardware
See also
*Bluefields, Nicaragua
*Bluefields, Jamaica
Bluefields is a settlement in Westmoreland Parish on the Cari ...
in 1957 and then joined the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
organization as a scout. He remained a scout with the Reds through 1966 and then joined the major league club as first base coach from 1967–69 on the staff of
Dave Bristol
James David Bristol (born June 23, 1933) is an American former manager in Major League Baseball in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants during this period.
Success in th ...
.
Bragan moved to the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They p ...
in 1970, where he was first base coach through early 1971, and third base coach in 1972. He also was manager of the Expos'
Triple-A Winnipeg Whips
The Winnipeg Whips were a professional Triple-A minor league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that played in the International League from 1970 to 1971. The team was affiliated with the Montreal Expos of Major League Baseball ...
for the latter half of 1971, head baseball coach of Mississippi State University in 1975, and a coach with the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
in 1976–77. He was president of the
Double-A Southern League from 1981–94, one of the most successful periods in that league's history. The league subsequently created the Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year Award in his honor. In 1994 he was presented with the
King of Baseball
King of Baseball was a ceremonial title awarded annually from 1951 to 2019 by Minor League Baseball to recognize an individual for their longtime dedication and service to professional baseball. It was awarded during baseball's Winter Meetings a ...
award given by Minor League Baseball.
Bragan died in
Westover, Alabama, in 2001 at the age of 72.
[http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Scouts/Bragan.Jimmy.Obit.html]
Baseball coaching record
References
External links
1929 births
2001 deaths
Baseball players from Birmingham, Alabama
Chattanooga Lookouts managers
Cincinnati Reds coaches
Cincinnati Reds scouts
Cleveland Indians scouts
Columbia Reds players
Elmira Pioneers players
Fort Worth Cats players
Macon Dodgers players
Major League Baseball first base coaches
Major League Baseball third base coaches
Miami Sun Sox players
Milwaukee Brewers coaches
Minor league baseball executives
Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball coaches
Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball players
Mobile Bears players
Montreal Expos coaches
Montreal Expos scouts
Nashville Vols players
Newport News Dodgers players
Savannah Redlegs players
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