When Baseball Was Still Topps

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When Baseball Was Still Topps

Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card

History of sport Baseball

Author: Phil Coffin

Dinosaur mascot

Language: English

Published by: McFarland

Published on: 15th December 2023

Format: LCP-protected ePub

Size: 243 pages

ISBN: 9781476651736


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.

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