The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that Jeff Branson has been named Hitting Coach.
The 46-year-old Branson joined the Major League staff on December 13, 2012 and spent the 2013 season implementing the club’s hitting program along with Hitting Coach Jay Bell.
Branson has spent the past 12 years with the Pittsburgh organization. He served Triple-A Indianapolis as its Hitting Coach for four years (2009-2012) after managing at three different levels of the minor league system for five seasons (2004-2008) and serving as Hitting Coach with Williamsport in 2003.
An infielder during his playing days, Branson was selected by Cincinnati in the second round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft. He played a total of nine seasons in the big leagues with the Reds (1992-1997), Indians (1997-1998) and Dodgers (2000-2001).
Jeff Livesey has also joined the Major League staff as a Coach.
Livesey, 47, has spent the last three seasons working as Pittsburgh’s Minor League Hitting Coordinator. He has spent a total of 11 seasons within the Pirates minor league system, working as a Hitting Coach at three different levels and also as Manager for the Gulf Coast League Pirates in 2005. Jeff returned to the Pirates in 2011 after spending five seasons as a coach in Japan.
— The Pirates have also made a roster move as they traded Kris Johnson to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Duke Welker.
Welker, Pittsburgh’s second-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, was sent to the Twins on October 5 as “the player to be named” in the Justin Morneau deal from August 31.
The 27-year-old Welker spent the entire 2013 season in the Pittsburgh organization, going 3-4 with nine saves, a 3.57 ERA (63.0ip/25er) and 65 strikeouts in a team-high 48 relief appearances with Triple-A Indianapolis. He also made two scoreless appearances (1.1ip) with the Pirates, making his Major League debut on June 23 at Los Angeles (AL).
Johnson, 29, went 10-4 with a 2.39 ERA (135.2ip/36er) in 26 games (21 starts) with Indianapolis this past season. A mid-season All-Star, Johnson led the International League in ERA and the Indy staff in wins in 2013.
Signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on 12/14/11 after pitching six seasons in Boston’s minor league system, Johnson made his Major League debut with the Pirates on August 18 and pitched 6.0 innings of relief in a 4-2, 16-inning loss vs. Arizona. He went 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA (10.1ip/7er) in four games (one start) with the Pirates in 2013.
(Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)
