Jeff Branson
Jeffery Glenn Branson
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
- School Livingston University
- High school Southern Choctaw High School
- Debut April 12, 1992
- Final Game October 6, 2001
- Born January 26, 1967 in Waynesboro, MS USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Jeff Branson was signed as a 2nd round pick in the 1988 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds and scout Julian Mock. A super utility guy, Jeff saw his most action roaming the infield in Cincinnati during the 1990s, batting .260 with 12 home runs in 1995. In parts of nine seasons, he played 694 games, finishing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001.
After his playing career ended, Branson spent 2003 as hitting coach of the Williamsport Crosscutters and was the team's skipper the following year. After two seasons managing the Hickory Crawdads, he was named manager of the Lynchburg Hillcats for 2007. Branson was the hitting coach for the Indianapolis Indians in 2009-2012. In the first two seasons under Branson, Indians hitters posted their two highest home run totals (119 - 2009 and 118 -- 2010) since the team became a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate. After the 2011 season he worked as the hitting coach for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
In 2013, Branson moved up to Pittsburgh as their assistant hitting coach. When hitting coach Jay Bell left before the 2014 season, Branson was promoted to take his place, staying until the end of the 2018 season. Pirates hitters showed considerable success under Branson's leadership, reaching the playoffs for three consecutive years (2013-2015) as a wild card entry. In his first full season as Pittsburgh's hitting coach, the Pirates ranked second in the National League with a .333 on-base percentage, the club's highest OBP since 2003 (.338), first in walks (520), and fourth with 682 runs scored. The Pirates also ranked fourth among N.L. teams with 461 extra-base hits and had nine different players hit at least 10 home runs for the first time in franchise history. The hitting continued in 2015 as the Bucs ranked fourth in the National League in runs scored (697), fourth in hits (1,462), and fourth in total bases (2228). In his first four years as hitting coach, the Pirates produced the third-highest on-base percentage (.326) among National League teams, trailing only the Rockies (.329) and Dodgers (.328).
Branson moved to the Detroit Tigers in 2019 as their Minor League Hitting Coordinator. He continued in this role through 2024. He did take a detour in 2021. On June 11th Branson was called upon to replace Mike Hessman as hitting coach of the Toledo Mud Hens when Hessman was promoted to the majors to replace Jose Cruz Jr. who had accepted the head coach position at Rice University.
Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record[edit]
Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Williamsport Crosscutters | New York-Penn League | 34-40 | 9th | Pittsburgh Pirates | |
2005 | Hickory Crawdads | South Atlantic League | 54-80 | 15th | Pittsburgh Pirates | |
2006 | Hickory Crawdads | South Atlantic League | 67-70 | 10th | Pittsburgh Pirates | |
2007 | Lynchburg Hillcats | Carolina League | 55-82 | 8th | Pittsburgh Pirates | |
2008 | Lynchburg Hillcats | Carolina League | 58-80 | 7th | Pittsburgh Pirates |
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