OPC IMAGE VARIATIONS: 1977 JIM MASON

On the blog today, we look at the image variations on Jim mason's 1977 Topps and OPC cards, the latest in my long-running thread on the subject:

OPC version

Topps version

 

I promise you, I remember the exact moment I first pulled the Topps version out of a pack as an eight-year-old in 1977, because the image Topps used looks like Mason is crying. At least it did so to my young mind at that time.

If you know about Mason's career, it would make sense since he was coming off a World Series as a member of the New York Yankees in which he homered in his 1st at-bat!

So to find himself suddenly suiting up for a new Toronto Blue Jays franchise after glory days with the Yankees, yeah, I'd be a bit upset as well!

Mason fashioned a nine-year career as a guy off the bench, with 1974 being his only full season when he played in 152 games and came to the plate 487 times. He even hit .250 which would be the high mark of his career.

As mentioned, in 1977 he was an original member of the Toronto Blue Jays, and was soon sent to the Texas Rangers in mid-season, before finishing up his career with the Montreal Expos in 1979.

It's funny because as a kid collecting cards in the 1970's he was always there (except for '76 of course), yet looking at his career now it's evident how much a card presence elevates a player's career.

All told he hit .203 for his career with 12 homers and 114 runs batted in and 140 runs scored over 633 games and 1583 at-bats.

1977 BLUE JAYS REDONE- JIM MASON

Next up in my on-going “Expansion Do-Overs” for the 1977 Blue Jays and Mariners cards is former shortstop Jim Mason, who went from the 1976 World Series, where he hit a home run for the New York Yankees, to the newly formed Toronto Blue Jays, and had this ridiculous photo used on his card by Topps, where it looked like he was crying:

Re-dome with a smile

Seriously, is he crying?

Topps really had some killer images in that 1977 set: Darrel Chaney, John Lowenstein, and this gem, which I replaced with an image that actually shows Mason smiling.
Originally a member of the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers between 1971 and 1973, Mason played for the Yankees between 1974 and 1976, getting his only full-time role during his nine-year career in 1974, appearing in 152 games and batting .250 with 110 hits in 440 at-bats.
Until writing this blog entry, I never realized that between 1975 and 1979, the last five seasons of his career, Mason never reached the .200 mark in batting!
His averages are as follows: .152, .180, .187, .190 and .183.
So in all fairness, we could be talking about the “Mason-Line” instead of the “Mendoza-Line” all these years later!
Nevertheless, Mason would end up hitting .203 over his career, collecting 322 hits over 1584 at-bats in 634 games, finishing up with the Montreal Expos in 1979.

MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 JIM MASON: "1976 PROJECT"

Here's a "missing" card for a guy who actually appeared in 94 games with 251 plate appearances in 1975, but didn't make the cut for the 1976 set, Jim Mason:

Now that seems like a substantial amount of playing time for Topps to leave him out of the set, no?

Granted, the guy hit a wretched .152 based on his 34 hits in 223 at-bats, but hey, that's a lot of playing time to be left out of a set in my book.

Mason fashioned a nine-year career as a guy off the bench, with 1974 being his only full season when he played in 152 games and came to the plate 487 times. He even hit .250 which would be the high mark of his career.

In 1977 he was an original member of the Toronto Blue Jays, and was soon sent to the Texas Rangers in mid-season, before finishing up his career with the Montreal Expos in 1979.

It's funny because as a kid collecting cards in the 1970's he was always there (except for '76 of course), yet looking at his career now it's evident how much a card presence elevates a player's career.

All told he hit .203 for his career with 12 homers and 114 runs batted in and 140 runs scored over 633 games and 1583 at-bats.

One final note on his career is his home run in his sole at-bat in the 1976 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in the Yankees losing cause against the "Big Red Machine".

"THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL" 1977 TOPPS JIM MASON

Now, this Jim Mason 1977 (#212) card has always bothered me since it came out.
As an eight year old ripping open packs as quick as I could, I remember freezing at the sight of this card and never being able to figure out why this Major League baseball player was CRYING on his card!
Look at it!
What a weird picture of Mason. It's like he's seeing something horrible happening on the field and he's just about to break out in tears!
Then again, perhaps finding himself on the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in 1977 just after appearing in the World Series as a member of the American League New York Yankees in 1976 might make ANYONE cry, wouldn't it?
Maybe Mason realized that there were going to be some LONG days ahead playing for a cellar-dwelling team, especially for a light-hitting utility player like himself.
Well, it turns out he didn't need to worry THAT much, as he was traded to Texas on May 9th (my birthday actually) with pitcher Steve Hargan for Roy Howell.
Nevertheless, what an odd card from my youth...

It's ok Jim, you're moving on to Texas in May!!

Mason was a light hitting, and I mean LIGHT HITTING infielder who is probably best known for hitting a home run in his first World Series at-bat in 1976 for the Yanks against the Reds.
Other than that, he managed to carve out a nine-year career playing for the Senators/Rangers, Yanks, Blue Jays and Expos until he retired after the 1979 season.