Annual Bragan award announced
Published on March 21, 2007 under Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Suns announced today the creation of an award for the best high school baseball player in the Jacksonville area that will be given to a deserving young athlete beginning this spring. It will be called the Bragan Award.
Each baseball season, the Bragan Award will be given to the high school player from Duval, St. John's, Clay, Nassau or Baker County who has made the most valuable contribution to his team's effort to win games. Coaches from throughout the area will be able to nominate the player that they feel best exemplifies this quality.
The award is being named in honor of Peter Bragan, Sr., who has owned the Jacksonville Suns since 1984 and has made great contributions to the overall cultural and sports scene in Jacksonville, including high school and youth athletics. The award will be modeled after a 1930's Nokona brand fielder's glove that belonged to Peter Bragan Sr. when he was playing semi-pro ball in Philadelphia. The original glove is being used to cast a mold from which to make the awards.
"I think my brother Bobby got that glove from a lefthanded outfielder with the Phillies and sent it to me," said Bragan, Sr. "I used that old glove for a lot of years and it sure was good to me."
"It was brought to my attention, by one of the more disreputable members of the sports media, that there wasn't any kind of award for top-notch baseball players in our area," said Suns President Peter Bragan, Jr. "He felt that it would be most appropriate to name it for Daddy and use the old glove as the symbol." It is rumored that local sports radio talk show host Greg Larson had the original idea, but no one could confirm this.
Bragan will lead a committee made up of school administrators, coaches and other community leaders to choose the winner of the inaugural Bragan Award. Input from coaches throughout North Florida will be instrumental in deciding this year's honoree.
The Jacksonville Suns are the Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a member of the Southern League of Professional Baseball. The Suns open the 2007 season at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on April 5, 2007 against the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
Southern League Stories from March 21, 2007
- BayBears tickets on sale Friday - Mobile BayBears
- Annual Bragan award announced - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
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- Smokies tickets on sale Friday - Knoxville Smokies
- Biscuits a la Carte - Montgomery Biscuits
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