#274 Ralph Branca

#274 Ralph Branca
Progress: 1st of this card
269 of 407  66.1% complete
How acquired: $22.39 on eBay
Condition: Very Good
Ralph Branca has been one of the more difficult cards to obtain thus far.  At least, by my methods, it's more or less alway available if you're willing to pay for it.  I however, am working on a budget.  This price felt like a punch to the gut, but after focusing on it for more than a year, it's about as well as I could hope to do.  It's also in pretty decent shape, which is nice, as it is after all none other than Ralph Branca.

In addition to being one of the more expensive cards in this set for me so far, this Branca is also one of my favorites.  It's really a great looking card of a guy who will forever be a central character in the annuals of baseball history.  This card has the look of one that very easily could have been given the solid yellow or red treatment for the background.  I'm glad the colorer opted not to.  The blue sky with clouds, and hint of tress just scream "summer" to me.  The colorer also chose not to mail in the uniform either, going into very nice detail on the uniform piping, and getting the dimensions of the "B" on the hat just right.  Out of whack hat logo sizes is a real problem within this set.  It's nice to see Branca done right.

Stats: 12 seasons, 3x All-Star, 88 wins, 68 loses, 3.79 ERA

Best Hall of Fame Showing: N/A