Airbrushed Fridays: 1988 Topps Traded #47T

Welcome to the 37th edition of Airbrushed Fridays. Sometimes, choosing these cards is like seeing something for the first time that you've actually owned for more than 20 years. In other words, it can be kind of strange.

Ray Hayward was a left-handed starting pitcher who enjoyed a very brief major league career, spanning 19 appearances (15 starts) over 3 seasons. Hayward actually has a fairly lengthy Wikipedia entry which, unfortunately, fails to describe anything noteworthy that may have happened to Hayward at any time in his life other than the fact that he was one of the chosen few to play in the majors.

Why did Topps airbrush Ray's photo? The "This Way to the Clubhouse" feature on the back of the card is very descriptive. Ray was traded for two other fairly unremarkable players.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? If you are altering a card to make a player appear in his new team-appropriate garb, I would think that the underside of the bill of a cap would be one of the last concerns. For some reason, Hayward's cap looks like it was painted with watercolors underneath. The 'T' logo is enormous (even for Texas) and blends oddly with the brim of the bill.

(If you are interested in obtaining a card featured here - but not this one - please send me an e-mail. If you have a card you would like to nominate for Airbrushed Fridays, please get in touch as well. I will require that I am able to see the card in person, either on loan or as a donation, so that I can examine the card and experience it in all its cruddiness.)