Brooks Brannon remembers his 20th home run of the 2022 season with extreme clarity, the kind of clarity we usually reserve for wedding days or the birth of a child.
It was a curveball over the middle of the plate that Brannon crushed. He was out in front of the pitch, but he got the barrel of his bat on the ball and drove it. There were runners on second and third, and the blast gave his Randelman High team a walk-off, mercy-rule win.
That the dinger tied the North Carolina high school record for home runs in a season was memorable in itself. It’s the name of the player Brannon shares the record with that makes it special.
That other player is Paul Brannon, his father, who hit 20 home runs for Kings Mountain High in 1989. The Brannons still sit together atop North Carolina’s slugging mountain.
“Ever since I was younger and heard about it, it was always something in the back of my mind. I wanted to break it, obviously, but I think tying it is cooler, honestly,” said Brannon, 22, a first baseman/catcher with the Portland Sea Dogs. “He was right there rooting for it. He wanted me to break it more than I wanted to break it.”
The lightning bolt Brannon wears on a gold chain is another reminder of the bond he shares with his father. The lightning bolt, modeled after the one on Roy Hobbs’ Wonderboy bat in “The Natural,” was a gift from his father before his senior season. Paul Brannon received a necklace with the same design from his father right before his record-breaking season.
“It’s cool. It’s a little bit of family heritage, I guess. God willing, if I have a son and he wants to play ball, we’ll spread it to him,” Brannon said.
“The Natural” is Paul Brannon’s favorite movie, and he made sure his son watched it. Brannon said he’s seen it three or four times, “not nearly as much as my pops.”
Brannon doesn’t see himself as a wonderboy. He’s just a guy putting in the work.
Brannon’s season started late because his broke the hamate bone in his left wrist in spring training. Since he returned on April 22, he has showcased his power. His nine home runs entering Portland’s game on Thursday were third on the Sea Dogs behind shortstop Franklin Arias (13) and catcher Johanfran Garcia (11). With 32 RBI, he trails only Arias (35). Brannon’s .585 slugging percentage leads the team, as does his OPS (.982).
Brannon’s father played in the Seattle Mariners organization from 1990-93 before elbow surgery derailed his career. He taught his son that taking care of your body and preparation are the things you can control.
“The game has changed a ton since he played. The pitchers are a lot better, but also, you’ve got more information on them,” Brannon said.
Brannon made the jump from High-A to Double-A in the middle of last season. It’s a big jump. Every player is better, and figuring out how to sift through all the information you get during a game is a puzzle.
Brannon struggled in Double-A at first. From his promotion to Portland last June 24 through the entire month of July, Brannon went 7 for 58 (.121), with one home run and four RBI. In August and September, he hit .329 (25 for 85) with four home runs and 12 RBI. Brannon was hitting his stride just as the season was ending.
“I was happy to be able to get home and get to work. I knew exactly what I needed to work on,” Brannon said.
That including his swing decisions and hitting whatever pitchers challenge him with. Despite the wrist injury that delayed his season, Brannon has kept it rolling.
Brannon said his father will be in Portland this weekend to watch him play. He likely won’t see his son behind the plate. While still listed as a catcher on Portland’s roster, Brannon’s primary position this season has been first base. Wherever he can help the team win, he’ll play, Brannon said.
That’s the way he harnesses the lightning around his neck.