Helmar This Great Game #81 Ralph Branca Brooklyn Dodgers

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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2023

Card # 81	Helmar This Great Game
Player		Position		Team
Branca, Ralph		Full figure follow through		Brooklyn Dodgers
Top Auction Price	Total Sold	Avg # Bids	Avg # Bidders	Last Sold
$ 97.50	8	5	4	February 22, 2023

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About the Player

From the 'This Great Game' card back: Nietzschke wrote “Love your fate, for it is your life.” The fates dealt Ralph Branca a tough one when he surrendered the home run to Bobby Thomson that lost the 1951 pennant for the Dodgers. But Mr. Branca learned to accept his fate and even embrace his role in one of baseball’s most epic moments. When he was at his best, and well rested, Branca was a tough pitcher, winning 21 games for Brooklyn in 1947, the first of three seasons when the Mt. Vernon native was an All-Star.

About the Series

This series marks a step in a new direction for Helmar. For the first time we take a serious look at baseball in the 1950's and then, perhaps, the 1960's. The game found itself changing dramatically in this post WWII era, influenced by both the larger society and technological innovation. The color barrier may have been officially broken in 1947 but the acceptance of black players by the big league clubs came slowly, if surely. Reliable and inexpensive air transportation paved the way for geographic expansion. The game, which had been centered in the East and Midwest, found new opportunities along the West Coast.

The very center of the baseball world through the decade was New York City. New York teams competed in every World Series through the decade except for 1959. In many of those years both teams competing were from the city. Interestingly, New York also became the center of the art world at the same time. Migration after WWII brought many creatives to the Big Apple and movements such as abstract, modernism, surrealism and avant-garde.

Studying the era has inspired Helmar to use bold, often surreal colors in this series. We hope that you will join us as we explore this era of change.

Card size: 3' x 4'

Individually Numbered 1-20

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Helmar This Great Game, Brooklyn Dodgers
Card #	Thumbnail Pic	Player Name	Position	Top Auction Price
3		Hodges, Gil	Standing	$ 60.99
6		REESE, Pee Wee	Full figure, two bats	$ 63.00
18		SNIDER, Duke	Sitting, smiling	$ 69.07
27		DRYSDALE, Don	Portrait, leaning on left elbow	$ 87.50
36		Black, Joe	Folded arms	$ 37.00
38		CAMPANELLA, Roy	Dugout	$ 86.00
71		Gilliam, Jim	Leaning on bat	$ 124.50
80		Amoros, Sandy	Batting cage	$ 69.50
81		Branca, Ralph	Full figure follow through	$ 97.50
82		Cox, Billy	Sitting in dugout	$ 97.50
83		Erskine, Carl	Portrait chest up	$ 72.50
84		Furillo, Carl	Batting stance at camera	$ 77.78
86		Loes, Billy	Portrait chest up	$ 86.55
88		Newcombe, Don	Hands on hips	$ 59.89
90		ROBINSON, Jackie	Bat horizontal at knees	$ 260.00
93		Neal, Charlie	looking up after swing	$ 59.89
97		Podres, Johnny	Set position	$ 108.05
99		Roseboro, Johnny	Catching position	$ 100.50
118		Roe, Preacher	Yellow pole	$ 80.00
124		Bridges, Rocky	blue buildings	$ 76.55
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