GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1978 DICK DRAGO

As promised a few days ago when I profiled his 1978 “mystery” card, today on the blog I give you my re-done alternate Dick Drago, showing him suited up for the team he finished the 1977 season with, the Baltimore Orioles:

Though I have always loved the original Topps release for Drago that year, I did come across this image of him as an Oriole.
Drago split the 1977 season with the California Angels and Baltimore Orioles, posting a 6-4 record with a 3.41 earned run average over 49 games, all out of the ‘pen.
He’s put together a nice 13-year career between 1969 and 1981, finishing up with a 108-117 record, along with a 3.62 ERA over 519 games, 189 of them starts.
His best year was easily his 1971 season with the Kansas City Royals when he went 17-11 with a 2.98 ERA and four shutouts over 34 starts and 241.1 innings pitched.
That effort even got him a fifth place finish in the American League Cy Young race as he led the Royals staff to a second place finish in only their third season in the league with a 85-76 record.
I like the idea of going back and seeing where Topps produced a player’s card in the team he was ABOUT to start playing with, rather than who he finished the previous year’s season with, and recreating a card to show the latter instead of the former.
Already have a bunch lined up so keep an eye out for them over the next few months here on the blog!

A HECK OF AN AIRBRUSH JOB OR AN OLD PHOTO FOR THE 1978 DICK DRAGO CARD?

I just realized the card I was going to profile was something I already covered a few years ago, Dick Drago’s 1978 Topps card.
Since it’s been hot on my mind lately, I figure “why not?” and repost the entry today.

I never realized that Topps either used an old image for the '78 Drago card or did some incredible airbrushing.
I understand it can most probably be a photo from his first tour with the Bosox between 1974 and 1975, and it does seem to fit with “Boston” across his chest instead of ”Red Sox”.
However I stare at that cap and I’d swear it looks airbrushed to me. What do you all think?
Any of my Red Sox experts out there spot anything that can tell us for sure either way in this image?
I have always loved this card. Just one of those cards that looks perfect between image, layout and template that seem to mesh perfectly. 
Drago split the 1977 season with the California Angels and Baltimore Orioles, posting a 6-4 record with a 3.41 earned run average over 49 games, all out of the ‘pen.
He’s put together a nice 13-year career between 1969 and 1981, finishing up with a 108-117 record, along with a 3.62 ERA over 519 games, 189 of them starts.
His best year was easily his 1971 season with the Kansas City Royals when he went 17-11 with a 2.98 ERA and four shutouts over 34 starts and 241.1 innings pitched.
That effort even got him a fifth place finish in the American League Cy Young race as he led the Royals staff to a second place finish in only their third season in the league with a 85-76 record.
In a few days I’ll have my 1978 “re-do” with Drago suited up as a Baltimore Oriole, since he did finish the 1977 season with them.
Keep an eye out for it here or on my Twitter feed!

GREAT AIRBRUSH OR OLD PHOTO: 1978 DICK DRAGO

Here’s a card that’s always interested me because of an unanswered question, the 1978 Dick Drago card, and “is this an airbrush job or an older photo?”:

I understand it can easily be a photo from his first tour with the Bosox between 1974 and 1975, and it does seem to fit.
However I stare at that cap and I’d swear it looks airbrushed to me. What do you all think?
Drago split the 1977 season with the California Angels and Baltimore Orioles, posting a 6-4 record with a 3.41 earned run average over 49 games, all out of the ‘pen.
He’s put together a nice 13-year career between 1969 and 1981, finishing up with a 108-117 record, along with a 3.62 ERA over 519 games, 189 of them starts.
His best year was easily his 1971 season with the Kansas City Royals when he went 17-11 with a 2.98 ERA and four shutouts over 34 starts and 241.1 innings pitched.
That effort even got him a fifth place finish in the American League Cy Young race as he led the Royals staff to a second place finish in only their third season in the league with a 85-76 record.