Braedyn Clinton doesn’t have to look for a hero.
He has one just about everywhere he looks.
Clinton is a senior at Franklin Towne Charter High School, and for the past two years, he’s been an All-Public selection for his play in the outfield on the Warriors baseball team.
While he seemingly came out of nowhere two years ago when he was a sophomore, he came into high school with quite the legacy.
His great-grandfather on his mom’s side played for the Philadelphia A’s.
His grandfather followed in his dad’s footsteps as a baseball player and ended up making it to Double A.
His mom was a star softball player and track star growing up.
That’s not bad for one side.
Then you have his dad, who Clinton said is still a great athlete, and helps him every day. But growing up, his dad was a football and basketball player, and according to Clinton, he was very good at both sports.
That meant when Clinton was growing up, he had no shortage of role models.
Instead of picking one to emulate, he did his best to use all of his family members as inspiration.
“Growing up, I played everything, baseball, football, basketball, everything,” said Clinton, who lives in Holmesburg. “I try to play the right way, I learned so much from watching players in the majors. But my dad always taught me to play the way I play, my great-grandfather was drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics, and my grandfather was a great player, he made the minors. If you want to get something done, take charge and be the lead.
“I try to help any way I can. The biggest thing you can do is lift teammates up, make sure they stay playing as a team so we can take home that win. That’s always been what I do, ever since I was younger. Whatever team I played for, I made sure I jelled with teammates and I always worked to become a leader. I always like keeping everyone together.”
That’s what he’s been doing at Franklin Towne, and since he stepped into the starting lineup as a sophomore, he’s been one of the stars of the Public League.
He might be enjoying his best season ever.
Clinton is hitting .714 with three home runs and 18 stolen bases. He also leads the team in runs (21), hits (15) and RBI (18).
“I work on everything,” Clinton said. “The competition is always getting better, so I have to do the same. I try to accept any adversity that comes and then always try to add to my skill set.
“I always try to be better. I think my strengths are that I’m one of the fastest players in the state. I’m not the biggest power hitter but I can hit one here and there. I’m more of a double, triple kind of hitter. I have a good bunt package. If I get on, I can be at third on two pitches. I have a pretty good arm, either hitting the cutoff or throwing to a base. I’ve tried to work on all aspects of my game.”
The Warriors are following his lead.
Franklin Towne is 8-1 overall, 6-1 in Public League play. The Warriors have played some of the best teams in the Public League play and are poised to make a run at the Public League championship.
“We’re putting up double-digit runs a lot, winning some games by mercy rule, and we have a great group of guys,” Clinton said. “Last year we went to the championship, we lost to Central, but a lot of the guys graduated. So we had to start over in a lot of spots. But we have some good seniors, and we have some really good younger players.
“It’s good because we have such a good, young team. Our goal is to win the championship, when you lose, you want to get right back there. But I know this team is really good and they’re going to be great next year. We’re leaving the program in good hands.”
While Clinton is focused on winning this year’s championship, his future is just as bright as the Warriors.
Next year he’ll continue his baseball career at Widener, a choice that was a no-brainer for him.
“I went there, it was a lot like Franklin Towne, everyone was a big family, everyone knew each other, there was big support from everyone,” Clinton said. “High-spirited school, great academics and great resources when you graduate for getting a job. The baseball team is great, the coach is amazing, he’ll be your coach but also an outlet. He’ll be there for you, just like at Franklin Towne.
“Business management marketing or finance minor. I’ve always been into it, making money or learning new things. No matter how far I take baseball, business is a great backup route.”
He’s ready for college, but he really hopes to go there with a plaque.
And while it would mean a lot to him, that’s not why he wants it.
“Last time they won was 10 years ago, last year we made the finals and it was great,” Clinton said. “It was huge, there was a dryspell for a while. This year I think we have a great chance and bring it back to the school. Put it in the trophy case and be proud of it.
“I want to win for Franklin Towne. I’ve made so many friends, so many I played with. I have such a good group of guys, we’re like brothers from another mother. It’s a great experience. I’ll be sad when I leave them behind but they’ll carry on the legacy.”
