Every
once in a while I have to create a hum-dinger of a stretch “Fantasy”
card that never was, and this one fits the bill, a fantasy 1973 rookie
card of Dave Winfield, Dave Parker and Dwight Evans:
One player went on to the Hall of Fame, and the other two can be argued to be part of that posse.
I for one STILL say Dave Parker is a Hall of Famer!
Nevertheless, we know Winfield and Parker would actually have their rookie cards the following year in the 1974 set.
Evans was the only player of the three to appear on a multi-player
rookie card in ‘73, and I left his part “as-is” and added the other two
on either side of him.
It’s been stated that Parker and Winfield changed the ballplayer
prototype when they entered the league. Huge, slugging athletes who
could also run and play stellar defense.
Evans of course took a little longer to come into his own, but when he
did he became of the game’s best in the early to mid 80’s.
All three had awesome Major League careers, with Winfield leading the way and ending up in the Hall of Fame.
But again, look at what those other two did on the ball field and tell me without question that they don’t deserve to be there.
It’s a tough argument for sure...
Would have been an awesome card to be chasing as a kid, as well as these
days as a “collector” (what it has come to mean in this day and age).