Schools
Brooklyn Dodger Ralph Branca at Book Revue
Brooklyn Dodger legend Ralph Branca will speak about and sign his new memoir "A Moment in Time" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at Book Revue.
Branca is best known for throwing the pitch that resulted in Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” the historic home run that capped an incredible comeback and won the pennant for the New York Giants in 1951. Branca was on the losing end of what many consider to be baseball’s most thrilling moment, but that notoriety belies a profoundly successful life and career.
"A Moment in Time" details the remarkable story of a man who could have been destroyed by a supreme professional embarrassment—but wasn’t. Branca came up as a young phenom, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers during their heyday. He was a staple of the Dodgers’ teams in the late 1940s, dominating the National League. It’s no stretch to say that New York baseball was the center of the sporting universe and that the players were part of the fabric of the neighborhoods, of the city itself.
Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"A Moment in Time" offers a first-person perspective on the golden era of baseball, opening a window on an amazing world populated by legendary characters such as Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, and Walter O’Malley. Branca sits us down and tells an entertaining, deeply inspiring, classic baseball tale.
Branca was born in 1926 in Mount Vernon, New York. He was 18 years old when he signed his professional contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In 1947, Branca won 21 games and lost 12 with an ERA of 2.67. He appeared in three All-Star games, and was the starting pitcher in the 1947 All-Star Game at the age of 21. Branca made two post-season appearances in the 1947 and 1949 World Series. He played professional baseball for 12 seasons, from 1944 to 1956, during which he won 88 games and lost 68, with a career ERA of 3.79 in 1,484 innings pitched.
Branca, still active as a Chartered Life Underwriter, is a successful businessman living in Rye, New York, with his wife Ann.
All books signed at Book Revue events must be purchased at Book Revue. If you purchase your book at Book Revue in advance of the event, please save your receipt and bring it with you to the event.
