GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1972 GEORGE HENDRICK

Up on the blog today we have a do-over for George Hendrick and his classic 1972 rookie card, which originally had a black and white image colorized:

Redone version

Here's the original as-issued if you don't remember:

As-issued by Topps

I remember I found this card at a flea market in Brooklyn, where you went through boxes of cards this guy had on these fold-out tables. It was $1.00 for 22 cards! This was around 1981. I walked away with about 400 cards, and had to explain to my dad why I was carrying this big box when I went back to meet him after wandering around the market wondering where I was. I also remember how pissed he was that I managed to spend $20, all of my money, on something as ridiculous as "old cards". 

Hendrick would go on to play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.

He was an important cog in the Cardinals '80s machine that would net a World Championship in 1982, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards and making two All-Star teams.

Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

 

OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 GEORGE HENDRICK

Today on the blog, we take a look at the image variation between OPC and Topps for George Hendrick's 1977 cards, which include some really funny airbrushing going on for his Canadian cardboard:

OPC version

Topps version

Seems this San Diego Padres job was somewhat half-assed, though you can clearly notice the cool Cleveland Indians wind-breaker he's wearing.

After a couple of very productive seasons with the Indians, Hendrick found himself out West again, putting in a very nice 1977 year that saw him hit 23 homers with 81 ribbies, hitting .311 for San Diego.

Not bad for a trade that only cost the Padres Hector Torres, Johnny Grubb and Fred Kendall.

The following year he'd end up getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals however, for pitcher Eric Rasmussen, a trade the Padres most assuredly would love to take back.

Hendrick would go on to play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.

He was an important cog in the Cardinals '80s machine that would net a World Championship in 1982, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards and making two All-Star teams.

Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

AIRBRUSHING THROUGH THE 1970'S: 1977 OPC GEORGE HENDRICK

Good day all!

Thought it'd be fun to take a closer look at the original image airbrushed by the fine people at Topps for the 1977 OPC card of George Hendrick, who was "put into" his new uni, that of the San Diego Padres:

Seems this job was somewhat half-assed, though if you're familiar with his 1976 Topps card you can clearly notice the cool Cleveland Indians wind-breaker he's wearing.

After a couple of very production seasons with the Indians, Hendrick found himself out West again, putting in a very nice 1977 year that saw him hit 23 homers with 81 ribbies, hitting .311.

Not bad for a trade that cost the Padres Hector Torres, Johnny Grubb and Fred Kendall.

The following year he'd end up getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals however, for pitcher Eric Rasmussen, a trade the Padres most assuredly would love to take back.

Hendrick would go on to play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.

He was an important cog in the Cardinals '80s machine that would net a World Championship in 1982, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards and making two All-Star teams.

Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

TRADED- 1978 GEORGE HENDRICK

On the blog today, a 1978 traded card for George Hendrick, he of a very nice 18-year Major League career and  who found himself a member of the St. Louis Cardinals about two months after the 1978 season began:

Hendrick was traded by the San Diego Padres to the Cardinals straight up for former pitcher Eric (Harry) Rasmussen on May 26th of the 1978 season, and he would not disappoint his new team, hitting .288 the rest of the way with 17 homers and 67 runs batted in over 102 games.
He’d stay a solid bat in the St. Louis Cardinal line-up for the next six-plus years, winning a World Series with them in 1982 and making two All-Star teams, while taking home two Silver Slugger Awards as well.
Originally up with the Oakland A’s as a 21-year-old in 1972, Hendrick would play through the 1988 campaign, finishing up with 267 homers, 1111 RBIs, a .278 batting average and 1980 hits in 2048 games and 7129 at-bats.
Apparently his nickname was “Silent George”, though I do not remember that, but perhaps I need to whip up a “nickname of the 1970’s” card for him as well!

RANDOM QUICKIE: "YOU CAN TRY..."

"…BUT YOU CAN'T RUN FROM OSCAR GAMBLE'S AFRO!!!"

Ha!

I never noticed before, but behind George Hendrick on his 1976 Topps card (#570), we have the afro of ALL afro's, Oscar Gamble's fluffy dome cover, making yet another appearance!

Hilarious!

The 'fro was an entity unto itself huh?!

You just gotta love it! Take a look:

Oscar Gamble and the 'fro that ate Cleveland make an appearance.

By the way, I DO love the Cleveland Indians visor Hendrick is sporting, as well as the distant gaze he's exhibiting, as if contemplating life's true meaning or something.

Maybe he was wondering just how much longer he had to toil in Cleveland?

He had no need to worry though if that was the case.

After one more productive year with the Indians, he'd be off to San Diego for about a year and a half before moving on to St. Louis, where he'd be an important cog on some good teams, including their 1982 world championship squad.

THE GHOST OF GEORGE HENDRICK: 1972

For years I have been mystified by George Hendrick's 1972 rookie card. The ghostly airbrush job they did on it confused me to no end. 

Years later I figured Topps went ahead and airbrushed his uniform because they didn't have an image of him up in the "big leagues", but I couldn't understand why they apparently went ahead and continued the airbrushing on his face.

To make it all even more interesting, they also used a photo which had someone else on it, albeit obscured a bit, but now had to airbrush THIS player as well.

Was this a situation like the 1978 Greg Minton or Mike Paxton cards, where Topps didn't have a color shot of the player so they ended up using a black-and-white image?

If this was the case, why the strange, almost albino-like coloration of his face? It's like they lightened up his eyebrows and messed with his eyelashes too. Anyone out there have an answer to this one? Would love to hear it!

The airbrushing made the already NEON Oakland A's uniform burst out even more with all its psychedelic beauty!

Anyway, because of this "paint job", I DID always like this card. It was so weird and "otherworldly" to me and I'd always think of it when the topic of "odd cards" came up.

I remember I found this card at a flea market in Brooklyn, where you went through boxes of cards this guy had on these fold-out tables. It was $1.00 for 22 cards! This was around 1981. I walked away with about 400 cards, and had to explain to my dad why I was carrying this big box when I went back to meet my him after wandering around the market wondering where I was. I also remember how pissed he was that I managed to spend $20, all of my money, on something as ridiculous as "old cards".

Nevertheless I was flush with my "unbelievable find" (hey, I was 11 years old) and was on cloud nine all the way back home to Bensonhurst, staring at these "old" players and cards I never saw before.

Ah, those were the days!