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A Moment in Time

Audiobook
Nonfiction: Sports Biography
Unabridged   6.75 hour(s)
Publication date: 09/27/2011

A Moment in Time

An American Story of Baseball, Heartbreak, and Grace

Available from major retailers or BUY FROM AMAZON
Audio CD ISBN:9781611746075
Digital Download ISBN:9781611746082

Summary

From the great Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca who gave up Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World,” comes an inspiring memoir that captures the golden era of baseball and offers a lesson in grace, character, and perseverance.

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Product Description

Ralph Branca is best known for throwing the pitch that resulted in Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World,” the historic homerun that capped an incredible comeback and won the pennant for the Giants in 1951. And so 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 is 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 40’s, dominating the National League. New York City itself was immersed in post-war optimism, and the three teams produced passionate rivalries. It’s no stretch to say that New York baseball was the center of the sporting universe. In those days, the players were part of the fabric of the neighborhoods, of the city itself. It’s a world populated by legendary characters like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Leo Durocher, Branch Rickey, and Walter O’Malley. This is the world that Branca’s memoir evokes.

The infamous homerun is, of course, still deeply ingrained in that story. Seven years ago, Joshua Prager reported in the Wall Street Journal that the Giants had cheated, illegally stolen signs, and that Bobby Thomson knew a fastball was coming on that fateful pitch. Prager’s story made international headlines and produced a bestselling book, but it wasn’t news to Ralph Branca, who found out from a teammate in 1954. Over the years, Branca has always declined to comment on the scandal, out of respect for his friendship with Thomson. He is finally ready to tell his story, which is as entertaining and inspiring as any classic baseball tale.

Reviews/Praise

“Traber Burns is perfect as narrator; his breezy, conversational style fits Branca’s tone and writing style. Burns comes across as passionately telling a story, not merely reading one. Fans of the era especially will appreciate Burns’s narration of the tarnished secrets of the fateful game.”
      —AudioFile

“Traber Burns has the perfect voice (crusty) and delivery (seen-it-all) for an octogenarian’s first-person story. A Moment in Time will delight not only baseball fans but those interested in the changing culture of mid-20th-century America.”
      —Library Journal [starred review]

“Branca offers a fascinating tale of a golden age of baseball dominated by the three New York teams that included the breaking of the color barrier by Jackie Robinson. Acclaimed author Ritz maintains focus and pace without subduing Branca’s voice or personality to render a story with appeal to all sports fans.”
      —Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

RALPH 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. 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 twelve 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.

DAVID RITZ has coauthored books with Don Rickles, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Natalie Cole, among many others. He has a won a Grammy, an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award, and the Ralph J. Gleason Book of the Year Award four times.

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