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By Brad Balukjian THE GREATER MEANING BEHIND OUR GREATEST GAME.

A single, unopened pack of 1986 baseball cards. A vow to track down all the players inside. What could possibly go wrong?

By Brad Balukjian THE GREATER MEANING BEHIND OUR GREATEST GAME.

A single, unopened pack of 1986 baseball cards. A vow to track down all the players inside. What could possibly go wrong?

The Wax pack: oN THE OPEN ROAD IN SEARCH OF BASEBALL'S AFTERLIFE is available now! see below

The Wax Packers: Al Cowens, Carlton Fisk, Don Carman, Doc Gooden, Garry Templeton, Gary Pettis, Jaime Cocanower, Lee Mazzilli, Rance Mulliniks, Randy Ready, Richie Hebner, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Yeager, Vince Coleman

The Premise

The Wax Pack: On the open road in search of baseball's afterlife is the true story of tracking down all the players in a single pack of 1986 Topps on a 11,341-mile road trip across the U.S. What started out as a fit of nostalgia became something much bigger than baseball: A meditation on the loss of innocence, what it means to grow up, and the surprising gift accessible to us all: Impermanence.

Susan orlean, author of the library book

"A wonderful journey that opens into an exploration of sports, nostalgia, American culture, and memory, The Wax Pack will surprise and engage you. It’s a delight to read and a tribute to the power of curiosity.”

TYLER KEPNER, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Susan orlean, author of the library book

"The players on your childhood baseball cards might as well be superheroes: young, handsome and strong, in colorful costumes, certain they will conquer the world. That is how we viewed them once, but in time they grow up – and so do we. What happens after the lights go out on those big stadiums? What becomes of them when they join the rest of us in the real world, and nobody puts their picture on cardboard anymore? In this poignant and powerful masterpiece, Brad Balukjian finds out. He covers more than 10,000 miles to track down the stories of 14 men from a single pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, learning a lot about their lives – and his own. Hop in the backseat and join him for the journey."

George F. Will

Susan orlean, author of the library book

George F. Will

"As pleasing as the pink slab of bubble gum that, long ago, came with baseball cards inside five cent packets, this slender volume gives fresh flavor to the familiar phrase 'inside baseball.'"

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

"The Wax Pack is a fun read for card collectors, fans of 80s baseball or anyone who just wants to know what Rance Mulliniks is up to. I want to buy an old pack of cards and do what Brad Balukjian did!"

josh wilker, author of cardboard gods

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

"Brad Balukjian’s The Wax Pack swiftly and joyfully unfolds like a baseball-loving version of Almost Famous. Bursting with life, laughter, and heartbreak, it’s an absolutely essential work of baseball literature; a rollicking page-turner; and a deep, rewarding search for wisdom."

jayson stark, the athletic

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

"What if a pack of baseball cards could come to life? It sounds like a Spielberg movie plot, except it happened. It happened because Brad Balukjian made it happen, in real life, with the most eclectic cast of baseball characters ever assembled. And the result is one of the most fun, honest, funny, human and uniquely creative baseball books of the year. I’ll admit it. I loved the Wax Pack!"

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

"What a weird, quirky, fun read. There have been 50,000 books written on Major League Baseball, but Brad Balukjian's "The Wax Pack" is a uniquely romantic love letter to a game, a time period and its random soldiers. Well done."

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

"The Wax Pack is the perfect synthesis of what makes baseball (and baseball cards) compelling, combining the thrill of discovery, the reassurance of shared memory, and poignant metaphors for life. Balukjian's cross-country, cardboard-based bildungsroman reminds us that baseball's best stories are sometimes told by and about players who've long since left the league."

JASON TURBOW, AUTHOR OF THEY BLED BLUE

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

"With The Wax Pack, Brad Balukjian takes the simplest of ideas—opening an old pack of baseball cards—and twists it into knots, wringing every ounce of goodness from a familiar activity. With clarity of purpose and depth of prose he tells an endearing tale, deftly melding fan with player to provide a joyous, entertaining look at a sport he clearly loves."

Rob neyer, author of power ball

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Jeff katz, author of split season

"Brad Balukjian's book is for all those little kids with cardboard heroes who turned into big kids and started wondering ... Hey, what if there's more to life than just the cardboard? (Turns out, there is.)"

Jeff katz, author of split season

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Jeff katz, author of split season

"Every pack of baseball cards is like a birthday gift. It’s carefully wrapped, and, though what’s inside is a mystery, you know it’s going to be great. Same with Th Wax Pack. Until you open it, you have no idea how good the contents are. They’re good, very good. I’ve opened thousands and thousands of packs in my lifetime, but this is one of my favorites."

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

"Collecting baseball cards is something of a childhood rite-of-passage, and The Wax Pack is an awesome look into something many of us would have never dreamed of doing; chasing down our childhood heroes. What seemed so distant on a small piece of cardboard, Brad chronicles his stories of chasing down these ball players and telling their stories unlike anyone ever has before from the unique perspective as author and fan."

By Brad Balukjian THE GREATER MEANING BEHIND OUR GREATEST GAME.

By Brad Balukjian THE GREATER MEANING BEHIND OUR GREATEST GAME.

The Wax pack: oN THE OPEN ROAD IN SEARCH OF BASEBALL'S AFTERLIFE is available now! see below

The Premise

LA Times Bestseller and NPR Best Book of 2020

AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE

AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS

Available on Amazon

Bob Costas:

Susan orlean, author of the library book

Susan orlean, author of the library book

Susan orlean, author of the library book

TYLER KEPNER, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Susan orlean, author of the library book

Susan orlean, author of the library book

George F. Will

Susan orlean, author of the library book

George F. Will

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

josh wilker, author of cardboard gods

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

jayson stark, the athletic

Eric Stangel, Writer/Producer Late night with david letterman

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

Jeff Pearlman, author of SHOWTIME

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

JASON TURBOW, AUTHOR OF THEY BLED BLUE

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

BEN LINDBERGH, AUTHOR OF THE MVP MACHINE

Rob neyer, author of power ball

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Jeff katz, author of split season

Jeff katz, author of split season

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Jeff katz, author of split season

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

Matt boyd, pitcher, detroit tigers

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