While driving down to Ocean City, Maryland, yesterday, I heard the news that Jesse Branson had passed away in his sleep at Christmas. Branson was the sweet old black dude who just about stole the show in the Phillies' 2008 highlight film. It turns out that Jayson Stark of ESPN had heard Branson speak about the Negro Leagues at a symposium of some kind and early in the 2008 season introduced him to the Phillies' organization. Video Dan, who is in charge of making the highlight reels, told the story of how the then-94-year-old Branson visited the locker room and within minutes had charmed the guys.
An upbeat and longtime passionate fan of Philadelphia baseball, Branson was a bit of walking history. Among other things, he used to play hookey so that he could sneak into Shibe Park to watch his hero, Babe Ruth, play. After Branson had talked with the players, Charlie Manuel invited him into his office and the two nattered about baseball for about an hour. Charlie wanted to know what Gehrig's swing looked like, what Ruth's swing looked like---from a guy who had seen them again and again in person and in their prime. That sounds like some kind of conversation.
Jesse Branson ended his first visit to the clubhouse predicting that the Phillies would go all the way in 2008. And he was on the field when they did in fact win it all.
