OPC VARIATIONS: 1977 DOUG AULT

Next up in the "OPC to Topps Image Variations" theme are the two cards for former Toronto Blue Jay Doug Ault, who had his rookie cards in the 1977 sets:

OPC version

Topps version

As we've seen with other Blue Jay cards in the OPC 1977 set, he was given a nice dedicated card as opposed to the multi-player rookie card Topps offered up.

An "original Blue Jay" from their inaugural 1977 season, Ault made his Major League debut in 1976 with nine games for the Texas Rangers, hitting an even .300 with six hits over 20 at-bats.

Once selected by the Blue Jays via the expansion draft, Ault got to see substantial playing time in 1977, appearing in 129 games, manning first base and putting in a respectable rookie year, hitting .245 with eleven home runs and 64 runs batted in.

In his first game with the team, opening day, Ault was the Jay's first "Hero", hitting two home runs and leading the team to a win over the Chicago White Sox.

He followed that up with an injury riddled 1978 season that saw him appear in only 54 games, hitting .240 with three homers and seven RBIs, also putting in some time in the outfield.

He would spend all of 1979 in the Minors before making it back in 1980, playing in 64 games, hitting only .194 in what turned out to be the last Big League action of his career.

He would play a year in Japan followed by two more years in the Mexican League before becoming a Minor League coach and Manager into the 1980's.

Sadly, after some tragedies and business failures, on December 22nd of 2004 he took his own life at the age of 54.

ACCIDENTAL PHOTO BOMBING: PART VI: THE BATTLE OF FISK AND MUNSON

Any baseball fan of the 1970's is quite familiar with the lack of love between the American Leagues two best catchers of the decade, Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson.

They openly despised each other not only as combatants for dominance behind the plate, but as members of the hottest rivalry in the game, the Red Sox and Yankees.

For most of the decade it was either Fisk or Munson starting the all-star game as catcher for the A.L. Both won Rookie of the Year honors just two years apart: 1970 for Munson and 1972 for Fisk. Munson pulled in an M.V.P. award in 1976 while Fisk gave the baseball world one of the most exciting moments in the game's history: his game-winning homer off the foul pole in the World Series just a year earlier against the Reds. 

Throw in two notorious brawls in 1973 and 1976, along with some name-calling in the press, and these two guys, who ironically had a lot in common outside of the game, were the epitome of sports and the "me against you" attitude.

After Munsons tragic death in 1979 Fisk went on to say that they never "hated" each other outside of baseball, and that they really respected each other.

However, as long as it was between the foul lines, these guys were mortal enemies who were always keeping tabs on each other, especially Munson. 

I've read on more than one occasion that he used to scan the box scores the following day to see what Fisk did the previous game.

Well, in some sort of twisted "honor" of these two warriors, I dedicate this installment of "Accidental Photo-Bombing" to them with appearances they made in the 1978 set on someone elses card: Munson on Doug Ault's #267 issue and Fisk on Roy White's #16 card.

The White card is especially nice since you can see Fisk's expression as he tracks the ball heading to what seems to be the outfield. Nice shot that makes up a very nice baseball card.

Gotta love that '78 set!

The Yankee Captain behind the plate.

Fisk tracking the ball hit by White.