An All-Star’s
Cardboard Memories

by Tom Zappala
Ellen Zappala
Joe Orlando

with Rico Petrocelli
Foreward by Dr. Jim Lonborg

What Critics Are Saying
"My man Rico was not only a great ballplayer, he is also a great friend. We both played with or against these tremendous Hall of Famers and between Rico’s stories and Joe Orlando’s discussion of their cards, this book was a lot of fun to read. Bien hecho! Well done!"
- Luis Tiant, Red Sox Hall of Fame Pitcher
"My man Rico was not only a great ballplayer, he is also a great friend. We both played with or against these tremendous Hall of Famers and between Rico’s stories and Joe Orlando’s discussion of their cards, this book was a lot of fun to read. Bien hecho! Well done!"
Luis Tiant
- Luis Tiant, Red Sox Hall of Fame Pitcher
"As an avid card collector and fan of history, this book was truly an enjoyable read. Rico Petrocelli's anecdotes preceding the wealth of information about each player's cards is a unique and perfect combination. The synergy between Tom, Ellen, Joe, and Rico has led to the publishing of a book that will be enjoyed by many for countless decades to come."
- Evan Mathis, card collector, former NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl Champion
"As an avid card collector and fan of history, this book was truly an enjoyable read. Rico Petrocelli's anecdotes preceding the wealth of information about each player's cards is a unique and perfect combination. The synergy between Tom, Ellen, Joe, and Rico has led to the publishing of a book that will be enjoyed by many for countless decades to come."
Evan Mathis
- Evan Mathis, card collector, former NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl Champion
“Diehard collectors and just plain baseball fans in general are going to love An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories by The Zappalas along with former Red Sox great Rico Petrocelli. No one can spin stories like a former ball player and Rico does it as well as anyone. Joe Orlando then uses the images of iconic baseball cards to bring the stories full circle. This a must-read book for all collectors and fans. Tom, Ellen, Rico and Joe have hit for the cycle! ”
- John Broggi, Executive Director, National Sports Collectors Convention
“Diehard collectors and just plain baseball fans in general are going to love An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories by The Zappalas along with former Red Sox great Rico Petrocelli. No one can spin stories like a former ball player and Rico does it as well as anyone. Joe Orlando then uses the images of iconic baseball cards to bring the stories full circle. This a must-read book for all collectors and fans. Tom, Ellen, Rico and Joe have hit for the cycle!”
John Broggi
- John Broggi, Executive Director, National Sports Collectors Convention
“As a fellow member of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, I have known Rico for many years. Between the stories about the players and the information on their cards, I found this book to be both fun and extremely interesting. It’s a knockout! ”
- Tony DeMarco, former undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World
“As a fellow member of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, I have known Rico for many years. Between the stories about the players and the information on their cards, I found this book to be both fun and extremely interesting. It’s a knockout!”
Tony DeMarco
- Tony DeMarco, former undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World

A Must-Read Book For Collectors and Baseball Fans

An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories details the personalities, playing styles, and baseball trading cards of 56 Hall of Famers that played from the mid-1960s into the late-1990s.

Red Sox Hall of Famer, Rico Petrocelli, had the opportunity to play with or against all of these superstar players at some point during his great Red Sox career. Rico talks about his relationships with some of these greats and what their personalities were like, as well as how they played the game. From Clemente’s uncanny ability to hit to all fields effortlessly, to the effective motion of Hall of Fame knuckleballer Wilhelm, to the unbelievable bat control of Carew, Rico shares his views and opinions on the personalities and talent of some fabulous Golden Era players and the greats that played into the 1990s.

Independent Publisher “IPPY” Award Winner, Bronze Medal, 2019

A Must-Read Book For Collectors and Baseball Fans

An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories details the personalities, playing styles, and baseball trading cards of 56 Hall of Famers that played from the mid-1960s into the late-1990s.

Red Sox Hall of Famer, Rico Petrocelli, had the opportunity to play with or against all of these superstar players at some point during his great Red Sox career. Rico talks about his relationships with some of these greats and what their personalities were like, as well as how they played the game. From Clemente’s uncanny ability to hit to all fields effortlessly, to the effective motion of Hall of Fame knuckleballer Wilhelm, to the unbelievable bat control of Carew, Rico shares his views and opinions on the personalities and talent of some fabulous Golden Era players and the greats that played into the 1990s.

Independent Publisher “IPPY” Award Winner, Bronze Medal, 2019

A Peek Inside The Book

Besides Rico’s unique perspective on the players, card and collectibles expert Joe Orlando, CEO of Collector’s Universe, Inc and president of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), educates us on every aspect of the baseball cards that accompany these Hall of Famers. Joe discusses the various card issues of each player as well as their rarity and popularity. What are the most sought-after cards? Which cards are the most elusive? Are there any diamonds in the rough??

The Hall of Famers in this book span one of the greatest periods in baseball history. When Rico broke into the major leagues, Golden Era greats like Mantle, Berra, Koufax, Roberts, Mazeroski, and Drysdale still dominated the Major League Baseball landscape. Over the next 13 years, Rico shared the diamond with the next generation of players that became superstars—greats like Brett, Fisk, Yount, Gossage, and Eckersley, just to name a few who dominated the game.

We hope that you enjoy this fascinating trip through a significant period of our National Pastime. Sit back and enjoy An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories.

A Peek Inside The Book

Besides Rico’s unique perspective on the players, card and collectibles expert Joe Orlando, CEO of Collector’s Universe, Inc and president of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), educates us on every aspect of the baseball cards that accompany these Hall of Famers. Joe discusses the various card issues of each player as well as their rarity and popularity. What are the most sought-after cards? Which cards are the most elusive? Are there any diamonds in the rough??

The Hall of Famers in this book span one of the greatest periods in baseball history. When Rico broke into the major leagues, Golden Era greats like Mantle, Berra, Koufax, Roberts, Mazeroski, and Drysdale still dominated the Major League Baseball landscape. Over the next 13 years, Rico shared the diamond with the next generation of players that became superstars—greats like Brett, Fisk, Yount, Gossage, and Eckersley, just to name a few who dominated the game.

We hope that you enjoy this fascinating trip through a significant period of our National Pastime. Sit back and enjoy An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories.

An All-Star's Cardboard Memories

In The Press

‘An All-Star’s Cardboard memories’— SMR Magazine Review

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An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories

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