"John Wade" wrote in message
news
I think my fascination with commons is the result of
reading "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping,
Trading, and Bubble Gum Book" years ago. It is still
my favorite book about baseball.

In it, the authors show a baseball card from the 50s or
early 60s, usually a common, and tell some funny story
about that player. Find a copy if you haven't read it.

I'll second John's endorsement of the "Bubble Gum Book" which is more
about the players than about card collecting. My favorite quote by the
authors, Brendan Boyd and Fred Harris who each played high school ball:

"Please do not write us equally long letters (especially threatening ones)
complaining about how we have maligned your favorite ballplayer,
belittled baseball, befouled the very air you breathe. We know only
too well that we could not have played baseball half as well as even
the most inept players mentioned herein. We know that much better
than you, in fact. We tried."

Speaking of books, if you haven't read "Sixty-One" by
Tony Kubek and Terry Pluto, and you are a fan of the
'61 Yankees, beg, borrow, or steal a copy of that one too.

The same topic is covered in "Season of Glory" by Ralph Houk
and Robert Creamer, another good read.

--
Don
Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are much more pliable.
~ Mark Twain