Up on the blog today, we take a look at another OPC image variation from its Topps counterpart, this time the 1977 cards for former first baseman Jim Spencer:
 |
| OPC version |
 |
| Topps version |
Here's another example of
when I definitely preferred the Topps version to the OPC version, where
Topps has a nice action shot of Spencer (with a Bill North photobomb!)
as opposed to a posed close-up.
Don't really know why there
was this image swap to be honest, as they both look like authentic
photos as opposed to some airbrushing on the Topps card.
As
for Spencer himself, he put in a nice 15-year major League career that
saw him take home a Gold Glove twice (1970 & 1977), while showing
some "pop" in his bat.
His best season would arguably be the
1979 campaign while with the New York Yankees, acting as a part-time DH
and first baseman, hitting 23 homers in 336 at-bats, with 60 runs scored
and 53 runs batted in while hitting .288.
He'd play through
the 1982 season, finishing up with a season and a half with the Oakland
A's, ending up with a .250 batting average with 146 homers and 599 RBIs
in 1553 games and 4908 at-bats.