Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #43

The only thing missing from the Wild Card Game is a devilish game show host. Anyway, playoffs -- go!

Who is he? Angel Pagan is an outfielder with a strangely self-contradictory name. After finally breaking in with the Cubs as a part timer, he became a fixture for the Mets (who originally drafted him) who relied on his speed.

How did he get here? After a lackluster 2011 season, the Mets traded Pagan to the Giants, which would prove to be the biggest boost to his career yet. The Giants went on to win the World Series with Pagan having a career season at age 31. While Pagan still remains a key piece of the team to this day, a back injury will keep him out of the playoffs this time around.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: Here's a non-airbrushed version from the later produced Update Series.

Airbrushed Score: 4

Comments: This isn't bad, but it isn't real, either.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #135

We are getting so close to baseball season again. So close!

Who is he? Josh Reddick is an outfielder who has become more known for his beard than his actual play on field. This isn't usually a good sign for a player's usefulness. Reddick put together a very impressive 2012 season after a solid rookie campaign, but he ran into trouble last year due to a wrist injury among other things.

How did he get here? Oakland's Billy Beane pulled off another classic reliever-for-position player trade, sending Andrew Bailey to Boston to acquire Reddick. Bailey was stellar in his first two seasons with Oakland but has had a rough go of it with Boston so far.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: 2012 Topps #158 (completely different photo); Pre-Photoshopped Photo

Airbrushed Score: 10

Comments: I finally found a source image! Compare them side-by-side if you're feeling up to it.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #49

What will 2014 be like for the outed PED users?

Who is he? Melky Cabrera is a Dominican born outfielder who toiled in mediocrity for much of his career as an outfielder until he randomly became an All-Star in 2012, playing for his 4th team in as many seasons. Only about a month after that All-Star Game, he was suspended 50 games PED use and people stopped paying attention to him again.

How did he get here? The Giants traded Jonathan Sanchez, who had a no hitter under his belt, to the Royals to get Melky after he had his best season at the plate to date.

Repeat offender? No

Other versions of this card: 2012 Topps #15 (pre-Photoshop!)

Airbrushed Score: 10

Comments: Finally, we have our first Photoshopped card that can be compared side-by-side with its original photo. It's too bad, too, because the original photo is pretty great and shouldn't be messed with.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #76

I'm not quite settled in to this baseball season. Something seems a bit off about it. I wonder if it could have anything to do with the Dodgers' 6-1 record so far this season. That seems mighty fishy if you ask me.

Gio Gonzalez is a left-handed starting pitcher who was originally a White Sox draftee. He made the All-Star team for the first time after four seasons with Oakland and has been involved in some pretty high profile trades in his career.

Why did Topps airbrush Gio's photo? Gonzalez was one of the key offseason acquisitions by a promising young Washington Nationals team. He's expected to settle in as their #2 starter behind the rebuilt Stephen Strasburg.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? Something seems really disproportionate about that huge "47" on Gonzalez's jersey. As is well understood, I'm sure, Gio had not appeared in a game with Washington when this set was created and this is likely a Photoshopped Athletics jersey.

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.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #150

We're down to the Final Four in that college basketball tournament thing, with the semifinal games scheduled for tomorrow. Stats on the Back is sitting in the drivers seat right now, with the venerable Colonel Panic sitting in 2nd place with the most potential points overall. Tenets of Wilson has locked up last place, assuring bragging rights for years to come.

Jose Bautista is one of the game's premier power hitters. As if by magic, he suddenly flipped a switch at the end of the 2009 season and started hitting balls out of the field of play like he was transformed into a new slugging mechanical man. If you take a look at his numbers leading up to the past two seasons where he combined for 97 HRs, he struggled a lot more than he slugged. In 2004 alone, he played for four different MLB teams, scraping by for plate appearances wherever they could be found.

Why did Topps airbrush Jose's photo? By now, you've all probably seen the atrocious Marlins Photoshopped cards from this set, so I thought I'd go with a lesser known Blue Jays version. For some reason Topps has focused on trying to get a new uniform/logo look on their players for the Opening Day set. And I get why some people support this, but I think it just looks tacky. Of course, Bautista didn't change teams, but it was apparently really important to get an approximation of this year's return-to-quasi-retro Jays look. (Don't get me wrong, I fully support this logo change.)

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? I guess I explained this above. It was Photoshopped.

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.

Airbrushed Fridays: 2012 Topps Opening Day #39

Well, it's only Day 2 of the Madness (or Radness, as I prefer) and I've already lost an Elite Eight team. I guess that's par for the course. I imagine a lot of people missed on Missouri. I was also successful in picking VCU and Colorado upsets, but there are a few glaring holes in my bracket already.

Michael Cuddyer is a right-handed hitting outfielder and corner infielder who was a first-time All-Star last year after 11 seasons in MLB. He hails from Norfolk, Virgina, home of the Norfolk St. Spartans who were the benefit of the huge Missouri upset.

Why did Topps airbrush this photo? After spending his entire career with the Minnesota Twins, Cuddyer signed a three year deal with the Colorado Rockies this past offseason.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? It's Photoshopped! That's what's wrong. Well, that and the 2012 season proper has not even begun, so there is no reason you would see an in-game photo of Cuddyer with Colorado yet.

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.