"The beauty of baseball cards," writes Mike Payne in his brief introduction, "is that you don't have to have played the game to collect the men who do play the game." And the beauty of the 300 particular cards that he's collected here is how much these little pieces of cardboard convey about the evolution of the national pastime and the personalities of the players. From the early cards of Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, and the record-breaking Honus Wagner that sold at auction for $640,000 to the 1999 Mark McGuire series commemorating his 70th home run, every picture tells a story.
Dividing his volume into the 10 decades of the century, Payne provides appropriate card and collecting history as he displays significant, though not necessarily the most historical or valuable, cards from each. Every card is accompanied by a ballpark price and short commentary on why that card is particularly interesting. For example, a 1952 Mickey Mantle card pictures a pensive, almost troubled young Mantle, avoiding eye contact, his arms folded protectively over his chest. Payne reminds us that Mick's '51 rookie year was a hard one, and the pressures attending the off-season death of his father and indications he'd be replacing the retired Joe DiMaggio in centerfield were enormous. "So, back in '52, being Mickey Mantle wasn't all it was cracked up to be," Payne tells us. "This '52 Bowman card"--valued at between $1,500 and $2,500--"seems to capture the mood at the time." It's amazing how many other cards--from Aaron to Zernial--follow suit, and how much richer the game is simply for their presence. --Jeff Silverman
