U.S. Marine Cooper Brannan is trying to do the opposite of what former Arizona Cardinal DB Pat Tillman did. While the late Tillman walked away from a potentially lucrative NFL contract, Brannan is trying to earn a spot with the Padres as a pitcher following two tours of duty in Iraq, one of which resulted in the loss of his pinky.
The Padres have offered Brannan, 22, a right-handed pitcher, a minor league contract. Brannan, a corporal, has already agreed to terms and will sign a professional baseball contract after he is discharged from the Marines in May.Just reading about Brannan's experience puts life into a greater perspective;
"You go from living from the Bible times to coming back living in civilization, pretty much. You really know what you've taken for granted. You appreciate the smaller things in life." Such as? "Being able to walk outside your house without feeling like a bomb is going to go off on your frickin' street," he said, chuckling. "Being able to watch TV. Being able to use a toilet."
I couldn't even imagine what living life in those circumstances would be like. Think about what Brennan has gone through -- worrying about bombs going off at any time and losing a finger to a grenade malfunction -- to pursuing the dream of playing professional baseball.
We'll continue to follow Brannan's story as his effort to make the Padres club progresses. Regardless of the outcome, Brannan's quest for excellence should be an inspiration to other military veterans who so often find it difficult to adjust to the world upon returning from war. Who knows, maybe one day we'll see a Hall of Fame plaque for Cooper "Four-fingered" Brannan next to Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
coop a loop,hey man its ribeye im back over in iraq again,crazy i know,were proud of you.its the talk of the battalion.i guess when i get back im going to have to go get in with the rangers,so we can play each other,haha.remember driving back to base from your house and throwing in the parking lot at that gas station and that guy came up and asked who we played for, lol "nobody man were in the marine corps" haha good stuff, good luck man i'll hit ya up when i get back in June
Hi, my name is Marcy and my son wants to join the USMC when he grows up and also play baseball professionaly. I wouls like to see if he could write Cooper Brannan some how. Cooper you are his Hero. Thanks
Hey Coop, It's Engelmeyer, I've been out for a while, but I just saw you on TV this morning. I was shocked. I know you always talked about making it to a professional sport but I didn't expect this. Proud of you. I know you'll make it all the way. If you ever come to Vegas look me up. Peace.