The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories

"The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories is a tribute to the men featured in the greatest baseball card collection that has ever existed. This book is for baseball fans, hobbyists, and history buffs. The brief biographical narratives along with the personal and professional statistics of each player offer you a peek into the developing world of baseball during the early part of the 20th century. The stories of the amazing array of T206 players from all walks of life with dramatically different skill levels will give you a real sense of how our national pastime was shaped by the events and players of that era. The last chapter discusses the value and grading system of this storied collection and brings the reader full circle. You will learn how a card like Kitty Bransfield’s with the Sweet Caporal back is graded and valued. In addition, elsewhere in the book, you will learn about the 'Bransfield Curse' and what it meant to Pittsburgh Pirates fans."
The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories

The Men Of T206

"The next time you’re at your favorite sports bar with friends, toss out the names of Stoney McGlynn, Kitty Bransfield, Dode Paskert, or Hunky Shaw. Unless you are sharing a cold one with hardcore baseball historians or serious card collectors, you’ll probably get a lot of blank stares. Then, casually ask if the name Dummy Taylor rings a bell. When you get more questioning looks, tell your buddies all about this New York Giants pitcher who was completely deaf and is credited with establishing the use of hand signals so pitchers could communicate with catchers and players could send signals to one another in the infield. By this time, your friends will either be amazed with your baseball knowledge, or ready to toss you out of the place for being a know-it-all. If the latter is threatened, remind them to be careful because Bugs Raymond died of a fractured skull at the age of 30 after being involved in a bar brawl."
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The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories

"Baseball cards have been around for almost as long as the game itself. The collaborative project of Tom Zappala and Ellen Zappala, and with the assistance of Lou Blasi, The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories is an impressive 224-page compendium featuring beautifully reproduced images of the early baseball card T206 series featuring 393 players. Enhancing this outstanding collection of 500 baseball cards, each of which is flawlessly reproduced in full color, The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories includes succinct biographies of all the T206 players, as well as player anecdotes revealing the earliest days and evolution of baseball. Of special note is the informed and informative chapter on baseball card grading and valuations making The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories an especially valued and valuable addition to both academic, and community library collections — and an absolute 'must' for all dedicated baseball card enthusiasts."
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