A LOOK AT BOOKS — “When Baseball Was Still Topps”

Portraits of the Game in 1959,
Card by Card — by Phil Coffin (2024)

REVIEWED BY MARK A. LARSON
Editor & Publisher

From the first page to the last, “When Baseball Was Still Topps” by Phil Coffin was thoroughly enjoyable.

This book was not really what I anticipated (and that’s a good thing). I mistakenly thought it just going to be 572 boring recaps of every card in the 1959 Topps set. It does use the ’59 set as a framework and it does go card-by-card, but it’s not monotonous at all. I jumped to the wrong conclusion and misjudged what I assumed was between the covers.

As the author stated in an article published on the “Sports Collectors Daily” website (Jan. 30, 2024 by Bob D’Angelo), the book is sort of a combination of “The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book,” “The Bill James Abstract” and “The Baseball 100.” That, really is an apt description. And it works very well.

Coffin takes each card and writes in detail about the player(s) depicted. But these aren’t just run-of-the-mill stats and moldy stories. A New York Times editor, he has done thorough, wide-ranging research that he successfully spins into 572 unique and entertaining mini-essays. Even though the players are from 60-plus years ago, it doesn’t feel stale at all.  

Yet, the book isn’t just trivia. It also explores some intriguing statistical comparisons. The author uses “modern” statistical analysis. And the great thing is that for readers – like me – who are used to more traditional so-called “baseball card stats,” there’s a nice explanation of how these modern numbers and calculations can be used. These stats are understandable and give a better glimpse of how good or not-so-good the players were. And, they’re woven in sparingly enough that you don’t feel like you’re reading an accountant’s ledger.

To be clear, the focus is on the players, not the cards themselves. In other words, it’s not an analysis of the 1959 set as far as card designs or rookies included or values involved. The only thing is, unfortunately, there’s only a smattering of black-and-white photos of the ’59 cards themselves.

The following eight cards give a glimpse into some of the subject matter covered. (The comments next to the cards are mine.)

“Klu” was a big power man in the ’50s who rarely struck out. …
“The Killer” was a big power man in the ’60s who more than doubled Kluszewski’s
home run output. The author compares their best years as dominant sluggers.

If you like a little humor mixed into your baseball reading … this book is for you. If you like some statistical comparisons among players … this book is for you. If you like little-known – or often forgotten – stories about players … this book is for you. If you like all of the above, well, need I say more?

“When Baseball Was Still Topps” is easy to digest and you can read it in small portions, if you like. I’m not the fastest reader, but this was a quick page-turner. Really, I couldn’t put it down.

Phil Coffin did a great job. This book is fun, informative, well-written, well-researched and proved to be much, much more that I ever thought it would be. It was my fault in automatically assuming otherwise.

1959 Topps penny and nickel baseball card packs

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See related article on BaseballCardFun.com entitled:
“A LOOK AT BOOKS — The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book”
Click Link Here

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