Ralph Branca, baseball player, 1944-1956

Ralph Branca

Born: 1/6/1926 in Mount Vernon, NY, USA

Died: 11/23/2016 in Rye, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1944-06-12 | Final Game: 1956-09-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca

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Biography

Ralph Branca was a prominent pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1956. Born in 1926, he made his debut during an era marked by the end of World War II and the beginning of the modern game. Over the course of his career, Branca compiled a record of 88 wins and 68 losses, alongside an earned run average (ERA) of 3.79. He struck out 829 batters and recorded 19 saves, showcasing his effectiveness as both a starting and relief pitcher. His performance earned him three All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the top pitchers of his time. Branca was best known for his fastball and durability on the mound. He played for teams such as the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he became a key figure during the franchise's rise to prominence in the 1950s. His contributions were vital during a transformative period in baseball history, as the sport began to transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-oriented game. Despite facing challenges throughout his career, including a notorious incident involving Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World," Branca's legacy endures as a talented pitcher who left a significant mark on the game.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
4.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.80

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1945 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1945 4.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.80

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
88 68 322 188 71 12 19 1484.0 1372 625 149 663 829 3.79 0

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.92 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1944 BRO NL 0 2 21 1 0 0 1 44.7 46 35 32 16 7.05 3.57 (-97%) -1639.7
1945 BRO NL 5 6 16 15 7 0 1 109.7 73 37 79 69 3.04 3.67 (+17%) -1199.0
1946 BRO NL 3 1 24 10 2 2 3 67.3 62 29 41 42 3.88 3.59 (-8%) -592.6
1947 BRO NL 21 12 43 36 15 4 1 280.0 251 83 98 148 2.67 3.97 (+33%) 1462.8
1948 BRO NL 14 9 36 28 11 1 1 215.7 189 84 80 122 3.51 4.10 (+15%) -869.5
1949 BRO NL 13 5 34 27 9 2 1 186.7 181 91 91 109 4.39 4.12 (-7%) -885.5
1950 BRO NL 7 9 43 15 5 0 7 142.0 152 74 55 100 4.69 4.36 (-8%) -644.0
1951 BRO NL 13 12 42 27 13 3 3 204.0 180 74 85 118 3.26 4.04 (+19%) 1131.8
1952 BRO NL 4 2 16 7 2 0 0 61.0 52 26 21 26 3.84 3.70 (-4%) -1189.7
1953 BRO NL 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 11.0 15 12 5 5 9.82 4.14 (-137%) -1152.5
1953 DET AL 4 7 17 14 7 0 1 102.0 98 47 31 50 4.15 4.14 (avg) 1730.1
1954 DET AL 3 3 17 5 0 0 0 45.3 63 29 30 15 5.76 3.90 (-48%) -3232.3
1954 NYY AL 1 0 5 3 0 0 0 12.7 9 4 13 7 2.84 3.90 (+27%) -
1956 BRO NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 2 2 0.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
322 464 35 66 6 1 2 31 0 36 160 0.142 0.204 0.172 0.376 -2500.7

Career AVG .142 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 45.5% below league average.

Career OBP .204 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 39.0% below league average.

Career SLG .172 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 54.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.376 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 47.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1944 BRO NL 21 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1945 BRO NL 16 40 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1946 BRO NL 24 18 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1947 BRO NL 43 97 8 12 1 0 0 9 0 7 34 0.124 .262 (-53%) .336 (-46%) .376 (-64%) .712 (-56%) -925.1
1948 BRO NL 36 74 3 15 1 0 0 2 0 5 16 0.203 .263 (-23%) .340 (-26%) .379 (-43%) .719 (-35%) -435.8
1949 BRO NL 34 62 5 5 1 0 0 2 0 9 26 0.081 .262 (-69%) .343 (-43%) .384 (-75%) .727 (-60%) -635.4
1950 BRO NL 43 34 3 4 0 0 2 7 0 4 10 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1951 BRO NL 42 63 6 11 1 0 0 4 0 2 26 0.175 .260 (-33%) .336 (-41%) .385 (-51%) .721 (-46%) -504.4
1952 BRO NL 16 19 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 0.158 — — — — 0.0
1953 BRO NL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1953 DET AL 17 34 3 4 0 1 0 4 0 2 14 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1954 DET AL 17 13 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 2 3 0.308 — — — — 0.0
1954 NYY AL 5 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1956 BRO NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1949 WS BRO 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000
1947 WS BRO 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 2 4 2 0 17.0 16 12 9 14 6.35

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1949 WS BRO 0 1 1 1 0 8.7 4 4 4 6 4.15
1947 WS BRO 1 1 3 1 0 8.3 12 8 5 8 8.64

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 322 8 72 169 12 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1944 BRO P 21 0 2 8 0 0
1945 BRO P 16 0 7 20 2 1
1946 BRO P 24 0 3 6 1 1
1947 BRO P 43 0 9 35 3 0
1948 BRO P 36 0 10 18 1 0
1949 BRO P 34 0 6 15 2 0
1950 BRO P 43 0 8 19 0 0
1951 BRO P 42 0 12 19 0 2
1952 BRO P 16 0 5 7 1 1
1953 BRO P 7 0 0 2 0 1
1953 DET P 17 0 7 10 1 0
1954 DET P 17 5 2 6 0 1
1954 NYA P 5 3 1 3 1 0
1956 BRO P 1 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 322

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1947 TSN All-Star P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
New York University New York NY 1944

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 21th 8.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 40.0 336 0