Glenn Braggs

[Matt Breen]

Glenn Braggs was probably - pound-for-pound - the strongest man in Brewer history. He was a chiseled 6’3” and 210 pounds when he arrived in Milwaukee - looking every part of a superstar in the making. But looking like an All-Star and becoming one are two very different things.

Glenn Erick Braggs was born in 1962 in San Bernardino, California. A right-handed hitter, he attended the University of Hawaii and was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1983 amateur draft. Braggs quickly developed into one of Milwaukee's brightest young prospects, hitting .390 and producing an OPS of 1.189 in rookie ball. The powerful young outfielder quickly moved through the minors, hitting a robust .360 with 15 HR in only 90 games at AAA in 1986. It led to the Brewers calling up Braggs and installing him in left field that season (he bounced between left and right field during his career).

Braggs struggled his first season, hitting .237 in 58 games. But in 1987, with some experience under his belt, he improved, hitting .269 with 13 HR and a .762 OPS. It was a solid full-season debut, and many saw stardom in Braggs' future. He had a sweet swing, and many said he was one of the most powerful men they had ever seen in the game. However, a shoulder injury the following season cost Braggs more than half the year, and his 1989 season saw him regress in many areas (although he hit a career-high 15 home runs). 

Things soured for Braggs as he tried to fulfill lofty expectations, and he saw less and less playing time as he struggled, particularly against right-handed pitching. In June 1990, he was traded to Cincinnati for pitchers Ron Robinson and Bob Sebra - neither of whom had any meaningful impact in Milwaukee. 

He settled in as a part-time player in Cincinnati for three seasons with modest success and was part of the Reds' 1990 World Series team, making a nice home run-saving catch to preserve his team's lead in game six. In 1993, he signed with Yokohama in the Japanese League, beginning a successful four-year run overseas. He hit .300 in Japan and, in 1994, smashed 35 home runs.

Braggs retired from professional baseball after the 1996 season at age 33. 

After retiring, Braggs became a real estate agent. He married Cindy Herron of the R&B group En Vogue in 1994, and the couple had four children - although Herron filed for divorce early in 2022 after 29 years of marriage.

Braggs has focused on his real estate business and doesn't do much involving baseball, but he has participated in past Brewer Fantasy Camps. He is a vegan, and he has a lifelong interest in fitness. 

Braggs hit .255 with 45 home runs for his career with Milwaukee, and produced a .726 OPS. His career was solid, if undistinguished. But in hindsight, the results were a disappointment to most. When he arrived in Milwaukee, he was a "can't miss" player - and one of the most hyped prospects in years. Scouts raved about his swing and physical tools. Everyone expected a star. Braggs later said that he felt that he tried too hard. Ultimately, his excellent physical tools weren't enough. He was stiff in the field and at the plate. Many great players have an effortlessness to their game - something Braggs never developed. 

As noted, Braggs was considered one of the strongest players in the league, looking more like a football player than a baseball player. One of the things people remember him for was the time he shattered a bat on his own back after swinging and missing at a pitch. Take a look in the video link roll below - it's pretty amazing.

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[RobDeere]

Those statistics don't appear to be Glenn's.   Since he was drafted in 1983, I doubt he was playing with the Dodgers in 1979.

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, RobDeere said:

Those statistics don't appear to be Glenn's.   Since he was drafted in 1983, I doubt he was playing with the Dodgers in 1979.

Thank you, that was 100% my fault. I must have been working on multiple players at the same time and accidentally pasted a Twins player's stats in for Braggs.

[CheezWizHed]

Glenn was a player that produced a lasting memory for me as a kid. 

I was at my first ballgame ever. We arrived early and I was able to be down by the fence as the players were warming up.  I looked into the dugout and Glenn was sitting by himself, so I asked him for an autograph.  He said he would after he went out and warmed up.

True to his word, he came back to sign autographs.  But as he came, a swarm of kids crowded the fence and pushed me back down the line.  Glenn reached over the kids to grab my card (his Topps rookie) and signed it for me. 

[AKCheesehead]

I seem to remember that after the broken bat incident, there was a lot of talk about it on tv and what not and then he did it more times afterwards but we'd all already seen his bat breaking trick and just wanted to see him get the bat on the ball instead.