Airbrushed Fridays: 1988 Topps #593

The Radness is coming! The Radness is coming! Watch this space over the weekend for details on that free contest thing that I do every year around this time. Perhaps there will even be a post about baseball cards, if we're all lucky.

Bob Tewksbury was a crafty right-handed pitcher who won 110 games in his career. His best years were his years spent as a Cardinal, which is why it's only slightly forgivable that I posted a picture of a Cubs card here on the blog. He was an All-Star in 1992 as a Redbird, where he went 16-5 in 32 starts with a 2.16 ERA.

Why did Topps airbrush Bob's photo? Tewksbury was a Yankee who hadn't fully realized his promise when he was dealt, midseason, to the Cubs in a trade that involved Steve Trout donning the pinstripes. It didn't work out so well for either side. I can offer no explanation as to why Topps couldn't get him in a Cubs jersey with 7 appearances and 3 starts to choose from. Lazy Topps is lazy.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? Yeah, that logo... the vague sense of disconnect with reality. Tewksbury is probably lost in thought over his steep fall from his Donruss The Rookies days. Wait, is that two weeks in a row that I've posted a Cubs card? What is wrong with me?

If you are interested in obtaining a card featured here, 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.