North Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Joe Branzell
All-Star Game
The first annual Joe Branzell All-Star Game was played at Shirley Povich Field on June 30, 1999. The Clark Griffith League All-Stars defeated the Eddie Brooks League All-Stars 2-1. The Joe Branzell All-Star Game honors the memory of a man who dedicated his life to baseball and to the youth of the Washington, D.C. area.
Joe Branzell was born in Washington, D.C. on December 6, 1918. After a tour in the Navy, he joined the staff of the Jelleff branch of the Washington Boys Club in Georgetown in 1939 and was named its director in 1953.
Branzell coached the Washington Boys Club teams in the Clark Griffith League from 1949 to 1962. The Boys Club/Federal Storage teams won twelve consecutive CGL championships from 1951-1962 and three national championships of the All American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA).
Branzell left the Boys Club in 1962 to begin a 35-year career as a major league scout, first with the Washington Senators and later with the Texas Rangers. After his death in 1997, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York acquired his radar gun (one of the first in the country) and his scouting reports
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is June 30, 1999.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 39° 1.854′ N, 77° 8.995′ W. Marker was in North Bethesda, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It could be reached from Westlake Drive south of Tuckerman Lane, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 10600 Westlake Dr, Bethesda MD 20817, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: George Solomon (here, next to this marker);
Additional commentary.
1. Joe Branzell
Joe coached me at Jelleff Branch Boys Club in football (1963 Champions) and later had one of his great Federal Storage baseball players he also coached work with me on how to play third base. Joe contributed so much of his time and, along with Frank Cady (one of the greatest athletes ever in Washington DC), helped so many boys in playing the game the right way and in building character by showing that hard work on a task would pay big dividends in life. Many of us that knew Mr. Branzell and played for him will never forget him.
His radar gun (he was a baseball scout) was the first radar gun to go to Cooperstown and put in the Hall of Fame.
— Submitted December 4, 2022, by Valentino Falcone of Orlando, Florida.
Photographed by Laura Edwards, April 2, 2024
3. Joe Branzell Marker is missing
This photo shows where the Joe Branzell marker used to be. It has been replaced by several other markers.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 962 times since then and 76 times this year. Last updated on August 9, 2026, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on April 26, 2024, by Laura Edwards of Bethesda, Maryland.
