Sunday, July 24, 2016

A 1973 AIRBRUSHING GEM: WAYNE GRANGER

Time to look at another airbrushing gem from the 1970’s, the 1973 edition featuring former relief pitching wiz Wayne Granger:


Granger found himself in St. Louis after a year pitching for the Minnesota Twins, and Topps jumped right in and airbrushed (or should I say colored in with a crayon) the correct, up-to-date cap with a BOLD Cardinal “St. L.” logo.
It seems the original photo was of him with the Cincinnati Reds for whom he pitched between 1969 and 1971, coming into his own out of the ‘pen, leading the National League in game appearances twice and saves with 35 in 1970.
After a solid season for the Twins in 1971 he never attained that level of play the remaining five years of his nine-year career, pitching for the Yankees, White Sox, Astros and finally the Expos.
In those nine-seasons Granger totaled 451 appearances with a 35-35 record and 108 saves in 638.2 inning pitched, and his 35 saves were a record until Clay Carroll came along with the very same Reds in 1972 with 37.
Not a long career by any means, but a solid one nonetheless.

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