James Alton Bragan (March 12, 1929 – June 2, 2001) was an American infielder, manager and league president in American minor league baseball, a scout and coach at the Major League level, and a college baseball coach during a 40-plus year career in the game. He was the brother of MLB catcher, shortstop, manager and coach Bobby Bragan, also a minor league president.

Jim Bragan
Coach
Born: (1929-03-12)March 12, 1929
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died: June 2, 2001(2001-06-02) (aged 72)
Westover, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Teams

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Jimmy Bragan attended Mississippi State University and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. When his eight-year playing career ended, he became the manager of the Class D Bluefield Dodgers in 1957 and then joined the Cincinnati Reds 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.

Bragan moved to the Montreal Expos 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 for the latter half of 1971, head baseball coach of Mississippi State University in 1975,[1] and a coach with the Milwaukee Brewers 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.[2] In 1994 he was presented with the King of Baseball award given by Minor League Baseball.[3]

Bragan died in Westover, Alabama, in 2001 at the age of 72.[4]

Baseball coaching record

edit
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (1909)
1975 Mississippi State 16–24 6–16 10th NA
Mississippi State: 16–24 (.400) 6–16 (.273)
Total: 16–24 (.400)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

edit
  1. ^ 2013 Mississippi State University Baseball Media Guide Archived 2013-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Baldwin named Bragan 'Executive of the Year'". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jacksonville online". Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  4. ^ "TheDeadballEra.com :: Jimmy Bragan's Obit". www.thedeadballera.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
edit
Preceded by Cincinnati Reds first-base coach
1967–1969
Succeeded by
Preceded by Montreal Expos first-base coach
1970–1971
Succeeded by
Preceded by Montreal Expos third-base coach
1972
Succeeded by
Preceded by Milwaukee Brewers third-base coach
1976–1977
Succeeded by