Pirates manager Clint Hurdle informed fans at Pirates Fest on Friday that Jeff Branson will be named as their assistant hitting coach. Branson has served as the hitting coach at Triple-A Indianapolis for the past four seasons, and is very familiar with many of the young hitters on the Pirates roster. He and first-time hitting coach Jay Bell will look to improve an offense that hit .243 as a team and ranked 23rd in the majors with 651 runs scored in 2012.