Wednesday, June 2, 2021

#346 Bobby Bragan MG - Milwaukee Braves


Robert Randall Bragan
Milwaukee Braves
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175
Born:  October 30, 1917, Birmingham, AL
Acquired:  Obtained by the Philadelphia Phillies from Pensacola (Southeastern) as part of a minor league working agreement
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1940-1942; Brooklyn Dodgers 1943-1944, 1947-1948
As a Manager:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1956-1957; Cleveland Indians 1958; Milwaukee Braves 1963-1965; Atlanta Braves 1966
Died:  January 21, 2010, Fort Worth, TX (age 92)

A baseball lifer, Bobby Bragan played infield and caught for seven seasons with the Phillies and Dodgers, managed in parts of seven seasons with the Pirates, Indians and Braves, served as the president of the Texas League and worked in the Texas Rangers front office for several decades.  Bragan was the regular shortstop for the Phillies in 1940, 1941 and 1942 before a preseason trade in 1943 sent him to the Dodgers.  Missing two seasons due to military service, Bragan's biggest hit in the majors came during Game 6 of the 1947 World Series.  Pinch-hitting for Ralph Branca in the sixth inning with the game tied at 5-5, Bragan doubled home Carl Furillo with the eventual winning run.  (The Yankees would prevail in seven games.)  In 597 career games, Bragan batted .240 with 15 home runs and 172 RBIs.

As a big league manager, Bragan skippered mainly second division teams, never finishing higher than fifth place.  He owned a career managerial record of 443-478 and helped transition the Braves franchise from Milwaukee to Atlanta.  Bragan also served on the major league coaching staffs for the Dodgers (1960) and Colt .45s (1962).  Off the field, he served as the president of the Texas League between 1969 and 1975, and the president of the overall National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues between 1975 and 1979.  After his term expired, Bragan joined the Texas Rangers front office where he'd serve until the mid-2000s.  Bragan is credited with championing the career of Maury Wills, after helping him learn how to switch hit.  He's was also a strong proponent of the designated hitter, and as a member of the Baseball Rules Committee in the early 1970s, was instrumental in brining the DH to the American League.

Building the Set
April 3, 2021 from Roaring Spring, PA - Card #254
It's a strange time.  Spring has arrived, we finally attended a Phillies game in person and it seems as if with the arrival of the vaccine the pandemic could soon be behind us.  But I still find myself anxious, occasionally having trouble sleeping at night, and I know many of my friends and family feel the same way.  I went the entire month of March without adding to our 1965 Topps set, and as the month came to a close I decided to start off April with the purchase of a group of commons.  In search specifically for series two cards, I veered into the higher series when I found sellers on eBay auctioning off batches of cards from recent set breaks.  Over the course of a few days, I ended up winning 16 cards for $48 for an average of $3 per card.  

This Bragan card came from eBay seller Mom and Pop Card Shop from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania for a winning bid of $1.99.  With the weather getting warmer, having enjoyed a beer at a few Phillies games and 16 new cards in our collection, the month is starting off on the right foot.

The Card / Braves Team Set
This is one of four cards Bragan received in Topps flagship sets as manager of the Braves.  The back of the card does a nice job summarizing his playing and managing career up through the 1964 season.

1965 Season
In his third and final full season managing the Braves, the team's last season in Milwaukee, Bragan guided the team to a 86-76 record and a fifth place finish.  It wasn't a fun season for Bragan or the Braves, as the team's remaining fans spent the season angry at their imminent departure for Atlanta.

Phillies Career
Bragan took over the regular shortstop duties for the Phillies in 1940 and was the team's opening day shortstop in 1941 and 1942.  He enjoyed a career year in 1941, appearing in all 154 games for the last place Phillies and batting .251 with four home runs and 69 RBIs.  His RBI total that season was second on the team to only first baseman Nick Etten, who drove in 79.  Bragan was a below-average fielder and struggled to hit off-speed pitches.  In an attempt to become more versatile, he volunteered to learn how to catch and he appeared in 22 games behind the plate for the Phillies in 1942.  On March 24, 1943, the Phillies dealt Bragan to the Dodgers for pitcher Jack Kraus.  In 395 games with the Phillies, Bragan batted .233 with 13 home runs and 128 RBIs.  His trade to the Dodgers introduced him to his long-time mentor Branch Rickey.

1960 Topps #463
1963 Topps #73
1964 Topps #506
1966 Topps #476

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #463
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1960, 1963-1966
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1981 TCMA The 1960s II #410

Bragan appeared in a number of regional, minor league and oddball sets throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, but his first truly mainstream baseball card is most likely his appearance on a coaches card in the 1960 Topps set.

37 - Bragan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/22/21.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
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