When Baseball Was Still Topps - Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card

Card by card--all 572 of the '59 Topps set--this book contemplates the lives and times of mid-20th century baseball. That season was in the heart of a period of turmoil: milestones in integration, franchise shifts to the West Coast, a potential rival league, the major leagues' expansion, and labor issues that included paying young prospects not to play.
The cards help tell the players' stories, too. The slugger who had a date with Marilyn Monroe (no, not Joe DiMaggio), and the minor leaguer better known than Marilyn. The nephew of a Black Sox player, and the target of a bribery attempt. The lefty catcher. The pitcher from Mayberry. The only player to pinch-hit for Ted Williams. Strikeout kings and wildmen. Religious stalwarts and hell raisers. The stripper's husband. The coolest socks in baseball. Ballplayers who were also basketball players--including the NBA's No. 1 pick one year. Satchel's Six Rules and Twig's Six Rules. Coot, Rip, Turk, Puddin' Head, Whammy, The Rope and Captain Midnight. Pick any card, and you'll find another engaging tale about baseball.

List of contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments deleteix

Introduction

Glossary

The 1959 Cards and Their Stories

Extra Innings

Bibliography

Index

About the author

Phil Coffin is a longtime editor at The New York Times and has been a member of the Society for American Baseball Research since 1994. He lives at the Jersey Shore.

Product details

• Authors: Phil Coffin
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.12.2023
• EAN: 9781476693941
• ISBN: 978-1-4766-9394-1
• No. of pages: 243
• Dimensions: 178 mm x 254 mm x 12 mm
• Weight: 445 g
• Illustrations: Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Subjects: Guides > Sport > Ball sport; Baseball, SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / General, SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / History, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Books, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Paper Ephemera, history of sport, Antiques & collectables, Antiques, vintage and collectables: sports memorabilia, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Subjects & Themes / Sports