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Cooper Brannan is a 22 year old Marine who has just returned from a second tour of duty from Iraq after losing a finger in a grenade explosion. He is one of the 80 players who has come to Padres to win a minor league pitching position.

Brannan is six foot four and weighs 235 pounds. He is a native of Gilbert, Arizona, and during the spring training camp he threw his fastballs. He is also has a curveball which has impressed the Padres a lot but Brannan pitched this last summer when he was part of the All Marine Corps team when they played semipro teams.

In November 2006 before a patrol, Brannan was conducting pre-combat inspection. One of his squad members did not have a flash-bang grenade. So, Brannan reached into the left pocket of his jacket to give him his. Unfortunately the grenade malfunctioned and exploded in his left hand.

Initially Brannan thought that his entire hand had blown up only to discover that he had lost his pinky. The doctors ended up amputating the remaining part of his pinky and medial part of his hand. During his recovery period, Brannan playing baseball with fellow Marines

While drifting in and out of consciousness, he thought his entire hand was blown off. But he had lost only his pinky. While he was in a morphine haze, doctors amputated what remained of the finger and the medial part of his hand, well below the outside knuckle.

After being evacuated to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego for three follow-up surgeries,

Brannan is married to Lindsay Marie Wagener and they have a one month old daughter named Brooke. The Brannans stay just two blocks away from the Padres camp.

Brannan is presently stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and he is on full recovery duty status. He cannot sign a contract with Padres till he finishes his commitment to the Marines, which is on May 31, 2007. The Padres insist that taking on Brannan is not a publicity stunt for the franchise and that he has a genuine above average curveball.