Now, I wasn't sure about what I'm about to post, until I actually
went and MEASURED my suspicions to be absolutely sure, but the cap on
Bill Hands' 1975 Topps card (#412) is HUGE!
I mean, look at this noggin"!
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| "To serve man..." |
It's laughably odd with it's "Kanamit"-like size, no?
I recently went back to post on it, and for some reason started
thinking I was imagining it. So I did what ANY card-nerd would do: I put
it up against other cards with similar poses and "measured", and by
golly, this guy's cap IS INDEED larger!
Granted, it's terribly un-scientific, but my "test" was clear enough.
It's something I first noticed as a kid over 30 years ago, and always had it on my mind when I thought of "funny cards".
Seems when the airbrush "artist" went to paint on a Texas Rangers
cap, he got a little carried away and added a bit to complete the job.
If it doesn't hit you at first, keep looking, it will! It sneaks up on you sometimes...
Hands' career was pretty much over by the time this card came out,
as he appeared in 18 games for the Rangers in 1975, all starts, going
6-7 with a 4.02 earned run average.
The high point of his career was easily 1969 while pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
That season he teamed up with Fergie Jenkins, forming a 20-game
winning one-two punch, going 20-14 with a nice 2.49 E.R.A. while
starting 41 games, good for 300 innings on the nose.
All told, he retired with a 111-110 record and 3.35 E.R.A in 374
career games between 1965 and 1975, pitching for the Giants, Cubs, Twins
and Rangers.