The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs

Winner of 2016 Benjamin Franklin Gold Award!

The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs showcases the most desirable signatures in the history of our National Pastime while detailing the story behind the professional and personal lives of the men who signed their names on the sweet spot.

You will find a complete overview of each featured player, including individual autograph analysis along with the story of the man behind the autograph. PSA/DNA experts educate the reader in the specific characteristics of each of these special signatures and what to look for when hunting for the real deal. How many Mickey Mantle autographs were actually signed by clubhouse attendants? Why are there so few Joe Jackson signatures? Did Ted Williams water down the value of his own autograph by listening to his son?

Selected by highly regarded autograph experts using criteria including rarity, historical importance, and popularity, The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs features the most sought-after signatures in the hobby. These are the autographs any collector would love to have. The book starts out with the absolute pinnacle of this grouping, “The Most Wanted List,” showcasing the twenty most desirable autographs in the hobby.

About the Authors

Tom Zappala is a Boston area businessman and talk radio host who is passionate about our National Pastime. Co-author of The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories and The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players, Zappala recently authored Bless Me Sister, a humorous book about attending an Italian parochial school. He enjoys collecting vintage memorabilia for the love of the sport.

Ellen Zappala is president of ATS Communications, a marketing and consulting company, and a former newspaper publisher. Co-author of The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories, The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players, and Nardo: Memoirs of a Boxing Champion, Zappala enjoys bringing the stories of Deadball Era and Golden Age players to life.

Readers' Comments

“As a baseball history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Zappalas offer intriguing insight into the lives and careers of each player on this rarified list. With the inclusion of players like Honus Wagner, Ted Williams, and Derek Jeter, this fun but informative read brings us from the beginning of our National Pastime to the present day. Beautifully illustrated with historical images and original art, this book is a keeper. Well done.”
– Chris Berman, sportscaster & anchor, ESPN, ABC Sports

“Finally a book that digs deep into my favorite hobby, collecting baseball autographs. Tom & Ellen do a great job going through each player’s signing habits and precisely detail how abundant or scarce each player’s autograph is in the hobby. I thought I knew a lot about each player’s signing habits but nearly every player I read about I came away learning something new. The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs is great for new collectors and old veterans looking to dust up their craft!”
– Pat Neshek, MLB pitcher, Houston Astros

“If you are a baseball autograph enthusiast, you will love this book. It is filled with some very rare signatures by the men who made baseball the greatest game in the country.”
– Rick Harrison, owner, Gold & Silver Pawn, co-star, Pawn Stars, History Channel

“A grand slammer of a book. Beautiful, bold, booming with fabulous information that even a long-time pro like me learned a great deal from. If you like baseball, you will just love this love of a book.”
– Harvey Frommer, author of the Ultimate Yankee Book, 2017

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