ent ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁baseball ▁cards ▁that ▁were ▁distributed ▁during ▁the ▁authors ' ▁youth s ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁players ▁dep icted ▁on ▁the ▁cards . ▁ ▁The ▁basic ▁format ▁consists ▁of ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁a ▁card ▁of ▁a ▁player , ▁or ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁instances ▁a ▁manager ▁or ▁u mp ire , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁short ▁character ization ▁of ▁the ▁card ▁and ▁the ▁player . ▁ ▁The ▁comment ary ▁for ▁each ▁card ▁ranges ▁from ▁a ▁single ▁sentence ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁words . ▁ ▁Un like ▁most ▁sports - related ▁publications , ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁players ▁featured ▁in ▁this ▁book ▁possessed ▁medi oc re ▁talent ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁largely ▁forgotten ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁baseball ▁card ▁guide ▁in ▁any ▁respect ▁and ▁makes ▁no ▁pre ten se ▁of ▁being ▁one — there ' s ▁no ▁indic ation ▁what ▁a ▁card ▁is ▁worth ▁or ▁even ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁any ▁intr insic ▁value ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁mem ories ▁it ▁inv okes . ▁ ▁Baseball ▁card ▁collect ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁was ▁primarily ▁a ▁child hood ▁activity ▁and ▁invari ably ▁abandoned ▁by ▁young ▁ad ul th ood . ▁ ▁The ▁authors ' ▁stated ▁assumption ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁cards ▁one ▁collected ▁in ▁his ▁youth ▁are ▁all ▁gone , ▁as ▁revealed ▁in ▁the ▁book ' s ▁closing ▁comments , ▁" We ▁know , ▁your ▁mother , ▁your ▁own ▁mother , ▁threw ▁them ▁away ." ▁ ▁Instead , ▁the ▁authors ▁present ▁a ▁nost alg ic ▁look ▁at