The 1973 George Scott Topps baseball card, #263.
This card has held my fascination for over 30 years now. When I
first saw it I thought it was a simple bad-airbrushing
job. Then, as I took a closer look, I was confused because there was
this odd outline around the players, especially
Scott, that made it seem that they were cut out of one photo then
pasted onto this another.
But wait, it continues!
Upon an even CLOSER look, I noticed that the crowd was
looking somewhere else completely, and it was now obvious that indeed,
the players and the crowd were from two different images.
Just look at it. What was going on here?
And if all of that wasn't enough, another question I always had was that if Scott was playing first
base, then you'd assume the play being shown was of a pick-off attempt
with the A's Bert Campaneris just getting back to the bag before the
throw. But look at Campy. It doesn't look like
he's sliding back to the bag on a pick-off attempt, but that he's
sliding into a bag at full steam, as if he's advancing, NOT sliding back
to first. It's almost as if Scott was actually playing third base and
was waiting for a throw while Campy was sliding
in for a triple.
Now keep in mind that Scott did indeed play some third
base for the Brewers in 1972, and I can't really confirm that he has a
first baseman's mitt on. It could be a regular fielder's glove. Am I
wrong? Anyone out there have any answers on
this one? Is the crowd actually looking towards home? When looking to
the left of the card, are you looking NOT to the outfield, but in the
direction of home plate?
Such a strange card all-around. Where was that crowd image from
then? Why the need to use a different background than whatever was
originally there?
It's not a horrible card by any means, but just confuses me on so many levels I'd love to get the low-down on what went on here.
It's cards like this that keep me coming back to the 1970's! Love it…
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| Just what IS going on with this card?! |