On
the blog today, we look at another OPC image variation from its Topps
counterpart, this time the 1977 card for Tommy Smith of the new Seattle
Mariners franchise:
 |
| OPC Version |
 |
| Topps Version |
This
situation is uncommon, as both the OPC and Topps cards are airbrushed,
leaving us to wonder why OPC even bothered altering another image of the
outfielder since it was already done for the Topps set issued earlier
in the year.
As
a matter of fact the Topps airbrush job is much better, with the collar
of the jersey even painted unlike the OPC version which clearly shows
signs of the Indians jersey Smith was wearing in the original image.
In November of 1976 Smith would be drafted by the new Seattle Mariners
organization as part of the expansion draft, where he would go on to
play the last games of his career, 21 to be exact, where he hit .259
with seven hits in 27 at-bats.
In 1976 he’d see the most playing time of his five Major League seasons,
appearing in 55 games for the Cleveland Indians, while hitting .256 with 42 hits in 164 at-bats,
driving in 12 runs and scoring 17 himself.
All
told, Smith played in 121 games in five seasons, hitting .232 with 63
hits, driving in 21 while scoring 28 over 271 at-bats between Cleveland
and Seattle.