There are a few notable exceptions to the satirical style, in which straightforward reverence is paid, usually to the game's greats. The card for Ted Williams says simply, "In 1955, there were 77,263,127 male American human beings. And every one of them in his heart of hearts would have given two arms, a leg and his collection of Davy Crockett iron-ons to be Teddy Ballgame." (The glowing comments on the Williams card when juxtaposed with the rather disdainful ones in the closing section of the book about a 1955 Mickey Mantle card reflect the authors' Bostonian bias for the Red Sox in that team's fabled rivalry with the New York Yankees.) The commentary accompanying Satchel Paige's card lists Mr. Paiges oft-quoted "Rules for Staying Young" and concludes with the authors' own prophetic pronouncement: "Satchel Paige could have been the greatest pitcher in major league history, if he'd been given the chance. Don't look back, America, something might be gaining on you." And the cards of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, in honor of their notable off-field heroics and recent deaths, are each posted on a black background with no comment at all. Reviews, Citations & Legacy Although the book was never a bestseller and spent much more time out-of-print than in print since its publication (and then reprint edition in 2015), it has nonetheless attained a cult following and been frequently cited by many publications and online resources. Perhaps the book's most lasting legacy is the contribution it made, albeit unwittingly, to the adult hobby of card collecting. Harris and Boyd, like many other boys who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, collected cards as youths, lost interest in the hobby in their teen years, and rekindled the hobby in their adult years. The difference was that Harris and Boyd actually wrote a book about it because at the time there were no others. References Baseball cards Baseball culture Trading cards Little, Brown and Company books 1973 non-fiction books