Bransfield played a season of semipro baseball with a team in Grafton in 1897. After a brief major league stint with Boston in 1898, Bransfield returned to the big leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1901. He played four seasons with the team, most notably serving as the Pirates first baseman in 1903, the year in which the team lost the inaugural World Series to Boston.[1] He subsequently played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.[1]
After his playing career, Bransfield spent time as an umpire, scout, and manager. He managed the Montreal club briefly,[1] then umpired in the Eastern and New England Leagues from 1915 to 1921. He was then signed as a scout for the Chicago Cubs for the 1922 season.[2] In 1923, he managed the Waterbury club in the New England League.[1]
