Airbrushed Fridays: 2010 Topps Opening Day #109

For the sake of this blog, and also because I actually happen to like this cheap set for some reason, I was happy to learn that there will indeed be a 2012 Topps Opening Day set. Let's hope those packs are still 99 cents a pop. A tip of the ol' airbrushed cap to hiflew for the lowdown on these developments.

Akinori Iwamura was a defensive minded third baseman who played in the Japanese Central League for the first 10 years of his professional career before being posted to MLB, signing with Tampa Bay. The Rays moved him to second base after the arrival of Evan Longoria, and a subsequent conversion to second base was ultimately rather unsuccessful - not helped, of course, by major injuries suffered in the 2009 season.

Why did Topps airbrush Akinori's photo? The usual Opening Day narrative applies here, with Iwamura being dealt to the Pirates in the offseason and this set (which took a hiatus in 2009) released prior to the start of the 2010 season.

What's wrong with this picture, anyway? Pirates uniforms are consistently an inconsistent mess, but it's pretty goofy to try to airbrush a home team photo of Aki playing at Tropicana Field into pseudo home team Pirates gear. I can see you, Rays dugout! We also get a bonus, second Photoshopped image of Iwamura on the back. Nice.

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.