2019 IBPA BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GOLD Medal Winner2020 IPPY Independent Publishers SILVER Medal Winner in the category of Sports & Recreation ABOUT THE BOOKTreat yourself to a wonderful collection of baseball biographies including legends of the game Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie, John McGraw and so many others, as shown through the timeless and extraordinarily beautiful 1909-11 T206 baseball card issue.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 three chapters discuss the value and grading system of this storied collection, the improbable Lucky 7 Find, and the fascinating backs of the cards, 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.This second edition includes two new chapters, and many examples of high grade cards. Along with the 38 Hall of Famers that make up this set, there are another 353 players who contributed to the evolution of the great game of baseball.Take a look into their lives and see for yourself that ballplayers like Lena Blackburne and Gabby Street made contributions to the game in many ways that could never be measured in batting averages or won–lost records. They did, however, help shape our greatest American sport.Interestingly enough, you will see that even these players from so long ago had similar problems as some of today’s major leaguers. Contract disputes, substance abuse, and inflated egos sometimes got in the way of greatness—not for all, but for some.This book is a great read for anyone who loves baseball, not just the collector. Enjoy your look at this snapshot in time!REVIEWS“The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories neatly recounts the human stories—often triumphant and sometimes tragic—of the ballplayers immortalized in the Tobacco Trust’s famous ‘white border’ set. In so doing, it enriches the experience of the card collector and entertains the sports fan.”—Scot Reader, author of Inside T206: A Collector’s Guide to the Classic Baseball Card Set and owner and operator of T206 Insider“The legendary T206 set comes to life in this brilliant book. The stories of these men, especially those who toiled in obscurity in the minors are especially compelling and achieve a measure of immortality in these pages.”—Richard Johnson, Curator, The Sports Museum, Boston, MA“Baseball fans will spend hours absorbed in this book, appreciating the artistry of the cards, as well as poring over the history of each player. The book is a grand slam. Long live Dolly Stark, Jack Bastian and all of the other long forgotten Texas Leaguers you are bringing back to life.”—Tom Kayser, former president, Texas AA League“You had the passion to see this book through, and now it’s a reality. I personally learned a great deal about that era of baseball from our meetings. This book makes that same information available to all fans of the game. It was enjoyable.”—Rico Petrocelli, member Red Sox Hall of Fame and All Star shortstopABOUT THE AUTHORSTom Zappala, a businessman in the greater Boston area, is passionate about maintaining the traditions and historical significance of our National Pastime. He co-authored The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players, The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs, Legendary Lumber: The Top 100 Player Bats in Baseball History, and An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories. In addition to his popular Boston area radio talk show, Zappala co-hosts The Great American Collectibles Show, which airs nationally every week. He enjoys collecting vintage memorabilia for the love of the sport.Ellen Zappala is president of ATS Communications, a multimedia marketing and consulting company. Co-author of The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players, The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs, Legendary Lumber: The Top 100 Player Bats in Baseball History, An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories, and Nardo: Memoirs of a Boxing Champion, Zappala is a former newspaper publisher and a former president of the New England Press Association. She enjoys bringing the stories of Deadball Era and Golden Age players to life.Joe Orlando is CEO of Collectors Universe, Inc. and editor-in-chief of Sports Market Report. An advanced collector of sports cards and memorabilia, Orlando has authored and coauthored several hobby related books. He has appeared on various radio and television programs as a hobby expert, including ESPN’s Outside the Lines and HBO’s Real Sports.Lou Blasi has been a producer and talk radio host in the Greater Boston area for the last 20 years. He is the senior analyst for Insider Baseball, ESPN Radio, Sirius Radio, and the Chicago Sports Review. Blasi was program director for an all sports radio station in southern Florida broadcasting the Miami Marlins, Miami Dolphins, and Orlando Magic. He is also a minor league talent evaluator.