OPC VARIATION: 1977 ALAN ASHBY

Up on the blog today, we take a look at another OPC to Topps image variation, this time the 1977 cards of former catcher Alan Asbhy:

Such a nice shot of Ashby in the Blue Jay uni as opposed to the Topps airbrushed card we see here.

Understandably Topps had to scramble and get creative with a bunch of players as the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners were set to make their Major League debut in 1977, giving us some airbrushed gems that year.

As for Ashby, after being traded to the Jays from the Cleveland Indians in November of 1976, he would go on to put in two seasons for the expansion team before moving on to play for the Houston Astros for the next eleven years.

I never realized that his career led him all the way to the doorsteps of the 1990 decade, finishing up with 22 games for the Astros in 1989 after 17-years as a Major League catcher.

In those 17 seasons he batted .245 while playing in 1370 games, collecting 1010 hits with 90 home runs and 513 runs batted in over 4123 official at-bats. After his baseball career ended as a player he hung around the game as a coach in the Astros system as well as a broadcaster for the Astros in both radio and television.

UNISSUED PROOF: 1977 ALAN ASHBY

Today on the blog we take a look at another unissued proof card, this the 1977 card for former catcher Alan Ashby, who was one of the "original" 1977 Toronto Blue Jays, coming over from the Cleveland Indians:

Unissued proof

Topps issued card

 

Ashby appeared in 89 games for the Indians in 1976, hitting .239 with 59 hits over 247 at-bats, scoring 26 runs while driving in 32.
After being traded to the Jays from the along with Doug Howard for pitcher Al Fitzmorris in November of 1976, Ashby would go on to put in two seasons for the expansion team before moving on to play for the Houston Astros for the next eleven years.
I never realized that his career took him all the way to the doorsteps of the 1990 decade, finishing up with 22 games for the Astros in 1989 after 17-years as a Major League catcher.
In those 17 seasons he batted .245 while playing in 1370 games, collecting 1010 hits with 90 home runs and 513 runs batted in over 4123 official at-bats. After his baseball career ended as a player he hung around the game as a coach in the Astros system as well as a broadcaster for the Astros in both radio and television.

GIMMIE A DO-OVER- 1977 ALAN ASHBY

Up on the blog today we have a 1977 do-over for long-time Major League catcher Alan Ashby, who was originally airbrushed into a Toronto Blue Jays uni by the fine people at Topps for their set:

I originally had this image to be used for a “not so missing” 1975 card, but obviously the Cleveland uniform is clearly from 1976 and later, not from 1974 or even 1975.
Nevertheless, I figured I’d use it here to show the team he actually played for the season prior instead of the new franchise he’d suit up for in 1977.
Ashby appeared in 89 games for the Indians in 1976, hitting .239 with 59 hits over 247 at-bats, scoring 26 runs while driving in 32.
After being traded to the Jays from the along with Doug Howard for pitcher Al Fitzmorris in November of 1976, Ashby would go on to put in two seasons for the expansion team before moving on to play for the Houston Astros for the next eleven years.
I never realized that his career took him all the way to the doorsteps of the 1990 decade, finishing up with 22 games for the Astros in 1989 after 17-years as a Major League catcher.
In those 17 seasons he batted .245 while playing in 1370 games, collecting 1010 hits with 90 home runs and 513 runs batted in over 4123 official at-bats. After his baseball career ended as a player he hung around the game as a coach in the Astros system as well as a broadcaster for the Astros in both radio and television.

 

AIRBRUSHING THROUGH THE 1970s- 1977 ALAN ASHBY

Time to go and add former catcher Alan Ashby’s 1977 card to the long-running “airbrushing through the 1970s” thread, with a closer look at the original touched up image used:

Nice job of the airbrusher turning what was originally a shot of Ashby in a Cleveland Indians uniform into a shot of him in a Blue Jays uni, especially when one considers there really wasn’t much reference yet as the team hadn’t played a single MLB game at the time this was created.
As for Ashby, after being traded to the Jays from the Cleveland Indians in November of 1976, Ashby would go on to put in two seasons for the expansion team before moving on to play for the Houston Astros  for the next eleven years. I never realized that his career to him all the way to the doorsteps of the 1990 decade, finishing up with 22 games for the Astros in 1989 after 17-years as a Major League catcher.
In those 17 seasons he batted .245 while playing in 1370 games, collecting 1010 hits with 90 home runs and 513 runs batted in over 4123 official at-bats. After his baseball career ended as a player he hung around the game as a coach in the Astros system as well as a broadcaster for the Astros in both radio and television.

1977 BLUE JAYS REDONE- ALAN ASHBY

Alan Ashby, one of the original Toronto Blue Jays of 1977, gets a make-over on this 1977 Topps card, getting rid of the airbrushed job and replaced with an actual shot of him in Toronto gear:

Re-done version

Original version by Topps

After being traded to the Jays from the Cleveland Indians in November of 1976, Ashby would go on to put in two seasons for the expansion team before moving on to play for the Houston Astros for the next eleven years. I never realized that his career to him all the way to the doorsteps of the 1990 decade, finishing up with 22 games for the Astros in 1989 after 17-years as a Major League catcher. In those 17 seasons he batted .245 while playing in 1370 games, collecting 1010 hits with 90 home runs and 513 runs batted in over 4123 official at-bats. After his baseball career ended as a player he hung around the game as a coach in the Astros system as well as a broadcaster for the Astros in both radio and television.