Today on the blog, we take a closer look at the image variation between former pitcher Dave Lemanczyk's 1977 OPC and Topps cards:
 |
| OPC version |
 |
| Topps version |
While
Topps went with their usual airbrushed older photo of the righty, OPC
had the time to take a proper posed photo to use on their card, giving
us an up-to-date look, facial hair and all.
After parts of four seasons with the Detroit Tigers between 1073 and 1976, he found himself as one of the
"original" 1977 Toronto Blue Jays, getting his first true full season
under his belt, starting 34 games and going 13-16 with a 4.25 ERA,
completing 11 games and totaling 252.2 innings.
That
1977 action saw him as the starter who saw the most action in the
inaugural Toronto season, with Jerry Garvin and Jesse Jefferson also
logging 200+ innings for the new franchise.
Over the next
three years he'd see decent action, tossing over 100+ innings each
season, but never the full-time totals he saw in 1977.
By the
time he was done after the 1980 season, where he split the year between
the Blue Jays and California Angels, he finished with a record of 37-63
over 185 games, with an ERA of 4.62, completing 30 games with three
shutouts.