Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #412

My last name can do things.

Who is he? Bill "Froggy" Hands was an 11 year starting pitcher in the majors, with the bulk of his playing days coming with the Chicago Cubs in the late '60s and early '70s. While never an All-Star, he won 20 games with the Cubs in 1969 and had respectable numbers throughout his career.

How did he get here? Hands was in the middle of a down season in 1974 when the Twins waived him. He was claimed by the Texas Rangers, with enough time left in the season to squeeze in two starts but apparently not enough time to get a Topps photographer on the scene.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: None

Airbrushed Score: 8

Comments: There's a lot of blue here.

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #453

Enjoy the World Series tonight! Game 3. Friday night!

Who is he? Claude Osteen, sometimes known as "Gomer", was a southpaw starting pitcher who broke into the big leagues with the Reds at 17 in 1957. He tossed a few innings in between writing book reports and trying to get enough credits to finish high school it would seem. Osteen's best years were with the Dodgers, where he would make the All-Star team 3 times. He logged more than 3400 innings, a prime example of someone one of the modern blowhard broadcaster analysts could site when talking about the so-called wussification of baseball and how innings limits and pitch counts are causing cancer.

How did he get here? Osteen was first traded to Houston after a long run in Los Angeles for fellow all-star Jim Wynn, but he didn't make it to the end of his first season. The Cardinals picked him up for no one of significance for the final weeks of the 1974 season, but by 1975 he was already off to the Chicago White Sox for his final MLB season.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: None

Airbrushed Score: 10

Comments: This is really not good.

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #572

Just happy to be here.

Who is he? Roger Nelson pitched professionally for 17 seasons, though he only appeared in 135 big league games. His minor league career began in 1963 and ended in Portland in 1979 with Pittsburgh's AAA affiliate. Although he was able to be a full time starter for a couple of seasons, there were only a handful of years where he didn't log at least some time in the minors. His best season was with the Royals in 1972, where he split time between the bullpen and the rotation and led the league in some sort of futuristic space stat called WHIP.

How did he get here? After his standout season, the Royals decided to move him along to Cincinnati in a deal that included future angry person Hal McRae. After two seasons in the bullpen with the Big Red Machine, Nelson was bought up by the Chicago White Sox who proceeded to dump him before the season ever started, rendering his so-called appearance in this uniform entirely fraudulent.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: None

Airbrushed Score: 10

Comments: This one is immortalized on his Baseball-Reference.com page.

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #514

Back in vintage territory.

Who is he? Jose Cruz was a two-time All-Star outfielder. Cruz hailed from Puerto Rico, and was one of the territory's biggest stars of his day. His son, Jose Jr., was also an outfielder and had a long but nomadic big league career of his own.

How did he get here? Cruz began his career with the Cardinals, but really came into his own after the Astros purchased his contract following the 1974 season. He'd go on to earn both of his All-Star selections in Houston to go along with two Silver Slugger awards.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: None

Airbrushed Score: 9

Comments: That is a ridiculously large 'H' on his cap!

Tempted by '75

Collecting anything this old is rather intimidating.

I've been pondering the idea of collecting the set that came out the year I was born - 1975 - for some time now. I have no connection to the cards or most of the players, since I never opened a pack of 1975 Topps as a kid or even witnessed someone open one. It's not the best design of all-time, but it's not the worst. Unlike a lot of the sets of the '70s and early '80s, I've been able to pick this one out of a lineup for a long time. It helps that it doesn't have white borders, like most sets. It could be really fun, though! I don't think I've ever put together a set that was entirely based on trades and single card acquisitions, so this could actually be the first. I'm going to give it some thought.

In the meantime, strictly for the Cardinals collection comes this Lou Brock card that's in really nice shape aside from the divot that was taken out (and replaced) from the left border. The corners are almost... sharp. That's not very '75 to me. This was another Listia pickup that I spent a fair chunk of credits on.

I also threw down a ton of credits on this Matt Holliday jersey card from the newest Allen & Ginter set. I prefer the framed mini relics, personally, but this is okay. I know that the memorabilia card as we know it has been seriously devalued in recent years, but I still can't keep away from them.

Finally, at this month's card show, there was a table that had nothing but an arrangement of $1 autographed cards in screwdown cases. I don't know if I even have any cards in screwdown cases. I will free this Bo Hart card from it's plastic tomb (and hilarious overpriced price tag) soon, but for now you get this quick and blurry scan of the guy who was famous for a month or two over a decade ago. Well, that's more famous than I'll ever be!

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #289

I have an interesting reaction to 1975 Topps cards. 1975 was my birth year, so you would think that this set might hold a special place in my collecting heart. Mostly, my reaction to this set is "oh, this is what baseball cards looked back then." Did they cost a nickel a pack? A dime? For the low, low price of $15, I guess I could own a wrapper from a pack of the mini version of this set. I don't see a price on it, though. For the most part, I think the team name looks ridiculous, like the opening title sequence of quasi-3D '70s action TV show. The photos aren't always great. But these cards are pliable and warm and my scanner loves them. It must be those bold borders.

Who is this week's victim, and why do we care? Ken Rudolph was a journeyman catcher throughout the '70s, with the stats and games logged that would suggest that he was simply a catch-and-throw guy. Maybe he offered some sort of sagely advice or wizardly baseball knowledge that other players with a .540 career OPS could not provide. Perhaps he was just hilarious in the locker room.

Why is this a thing? After 5 seasons with the Cubs and a single season with the Giants, Rudolph's wacky antics and penchant for playing extreme hot foot just didn't play in the Bay Area. The Cardinals picked him up in a three player deal a couple of weeks after the 1974 season was over. They must have missed the big lug, though, because a few years later he would be sold back to the Giants. Also, check out that cartoon on the back. You would think "Swish" would be Steve Swisher, but you would be wrong. So terribly wrong.

Airbrushed Fridays is a weekly feature as the name seems to imply. If you know of a card with an altered photograph that you'd like to see featured, please contact me. You probably won't win anything other than a hyperlink and Tyler Greene, but you never know!

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #610

1975 was my birth year. It used to make me feel relatively young to say that, but now it makes me feel like I should be reaching for my cane as I say it, talking about the days of yore and such. Well, my memories of 1975 are pretty nonexistent, but we have baseball cards that live on and document the days of a bygone era.

Who is this week's victim, and why do we care? Ron Hunt was a two-time All-Star infielder who primarily played second base. He spent his 12 seasons in the bigs with 5 different franchises, never sticking around for more than 4 years. Hunt's two All-Star appearances came early in his career as a member of the Mets. He also had a rather unique skill as the predecessor to Don Baylor and, later, Craig Biggio, as baseball's Hit By Pitch king.

Why does this card exist? Hunt spent his twilight years with the Expos. In the final month of the 1974 season, Montreal waived Hunt; he was subsequently picked up by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals. Topps  evidently couldn't make it down to the ballpark for any of his 28 plate appearances with the Cards that season, resulting in a ridiculously off-kilter airbrush job on his cap logo. Hunt came to spring training the following season, but did not make the club and opted to retire.

Airbrushed Fridays is a weekly feature as the name seems to imply. If you know of a card with an altered photograph that you'd like to see featured, please contact me. You probably won't win anything other than a hyperlink and a VHS copy of Independence Day, but you never know!

Airbrushed Fridays: 1975 Topps #349

First off, I just wanted to remind everyone about my contest. The deadline is tomorrow before the first bowl game of the season.

Ray Sadecki was a 20-game winner and key component of the 1964 Cardinals title-winning team. If you haven't read David Halberstam's amazing book October 1964, you should go out and buy yourself a Christmas present this weekend and pick it up. It's great, even if you don't like the Cardinals or the Yankees.

Why did Topps airbrush Ray's photo? Sadecki had spent the last 9 seasons with the Giants and Mets and was traded shortly after the 1974 season ended back to the Cardinals. He only lasted for 8 appearances before being sent to the Braves and later the Royals that season.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? What the heck did they do to Ray Sadecki? Nevermind. Ray Sadecki wants you to enter my contest!