Purple Heart Marine Signs Minor League Contract
Yet another reason to be a San Diego Padres fan

This posting makes this beat-up old Jarhead especially proud.

The ties between the Marine Corps and the San Diego Padres have always been tight. Between Padres CEO Sandy Alderson being a former Viet-Nam War Marine infantry officer, Hall of Fame Padres broadcaster (and former NY Yankee All-Star) Jerry Coleman being a WWII and Korean War Marine fighter pilot and a retired Lt. Colonel, and that the Padres are the only team on all of Major League Baseball that has a special Opening Day specifically for the military (complete with camouflage Padres uniforms), the ties just got a little tighter.

The Saint Didacus Priests just signed 22-year old Cpl. Cooper Brannan, USMC, to a minor league contract as well as being invited to big league Spring Training in Arizona. Cpl. Brannan is also a disabled vet. He lost part of his (non-pitching) left hand during his 2d tour of duty in Iraq.

I sure do hope things work out for this young man. Wouldn't it be great if he made it to the baseball "biggs" one day? That would be a story that would rival Rudy and Hoosiers.