Man I love these cards!
Today's airbrushing gem is the 1971 Jim Qualls card.
Take a look:
Well, it's pretty literal right?! The man's a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and that sure is a RED cap!
Love it…
Not shading, no logo, just a quick paint-over and onto the next!
It's actually funny Qualls even GOT a card in the 1971 set since he
only played in nine games in 1970 for the Montreal Expos, which saw
him go 1 for 9 at the plate with an R.B.I.
Turns out he would never actually play for the Reds at the big league level, or anyone else for that matter, in 1971.
In 1972 he'd appear in eleven games for the Chicago White Sox, and that would be it as far as Major league action for Qualls.
Of course Qualls will forever be know as the guy who broke up Tom
Seaver's perfect game bid during his rookie year with the Chicago Cubs
in 1969, when he singled off "Tom Terrific" with one-out in the ninth
inning on July 9th of that year.
As we all know the New York Mets would have to wait all the way to
2012 to see one f their pitchers pitch the FIRST no-hitter in franchise
history (Johan Santana against the Cardinals).
Qualls would go on to play two years in Japan post-MLB, hitting
.252 with 15 homers and 71 runs batted in for the Kintetsu team, before
calling it a pro-career at the age of 26 in 1973.