Home Run Derby

I ‘ve always wondered if ballplayers get excited when they see their baseball cards for the first time … or the 18th time for that matter.

When I was a kid playing little League – the biggest reason I wanted to be a Big Leaguer so I could be on a baseball card.  But with my luck, they would screw it up and put another guy’s picture on my card. 

Because it happens.  A lot.  Well, at least 10 times that I could find. 

Let’s take a look back at  some mistaken identities immortalized on cardboard …

Barry Bonds
1987 Donruss Opening Day #163A

I know that the Barry Bonds of the 1980’s didn’t look like the muscle-bound and big-headed Barry Bonds of the 21st Century …. but that ain’t Barry Bonds.  That’s Johnny Ray.

The error was corrected quickly and made this card a collectors’ item. 

It goes for about $300.

Don Landrum
1963 Topps #113

That’s not Don Landrum … that’s Chicago Cubs Legend Ron Santo!

I’d recognize Santo’s teeth, which he recently had capped, anywhere. 

Ed Glynn
1983 Fleer #408

Although that player has a great moustache like Ed Glynn, that’s not Ed Glynn.  I do believe that’s Bud Anderson, who also had a similar moustache.  Want proof? 

Well, in 1983, Glynn wore #48 for the Indians … which just happens to be the number of the player in the background.

Aurelio Rodriguez
1969 Topps #653

 The Topps photographer was trying to find Angels’ rookie third baseman Rodriguez and instead found Leonard Garcia.

But you won’t find Garcia’s stats over at Baseball Musings or Baseball Reference, though.  He’s not there. 

Because in 1969, Leonard Garcia was the Angels’ bat boy.

Gary Pettis
1985 Topps #497

One fine day in early 1985, Gary Pettis simply couldn’t be bothered by those pesky Topps people to sit for a photo session … so he sent his younger brother to do it. 

And immediately Pettis became the coolest big brother in all of baseball.

Tom Seaver
1985 Donruss #424A

Wait a minute … Seaver wore #41 his whole career, right?  Yup.  So who the heck is that?

Let’s see … #24 … White Sox …. Floyd Bannister.

Floyd Bannister?  How in the Hell do you confuse Floyd bannister for Tom Seaver?   Seriously. 

By the way … uniform numbers DO NOT belong right next to a guy’s crotch.  Just sayin’

Al Leiter
1988 Topps #18A

Once again … a “Future Star” gets mistaken for someone else.  

Al Leiter doesn’t look a thing like the pictured Steve George.

John Smoltz
1990 Donruss #BC12A

I suppose if you’re going to get mistaken for another pitcher, getting mistaken for Tom Glavine (pictured) isn’t so bad. 

Even if you’re already as accomplished as John Smoltz.

Frank Thomas
1990 Topps #414A

And this card asks the quintessential question … is it better to be confused for someone else, or to have your name left off your baseball card entirely?

That goes for about $600.

It reminds of when Topps had a Kansas City Royals team card a few years back … which didn’t have the Royals on it.

Tony Gwynn
1993 Upper Deck Spring Training

This might be my favorite of all time … because at first glance, it looks like an obvious error … but it’s not.

During Spring Training, Gwynn decided to wear pitcher Scott Sanders’ uniform for an at-bat. Sanders is white.

Although I gotta tell you, I thought Gwynn was heavier back then.

Dick Ellsworth
1966 Topps #447

Now I can understand a baseball card company screwing up guys with similar moustaches like Glynn and Anderson … but how do you confuse a guy like Dick Ellsworth for a guy who’s been dead for more than two years?

But somehow, that’s what Topps did when they put Ken Hubbs on Dick Ellsworth’s 1966 card.  Hubbs was a Cubs’ fielding prospect who died in February, 1964.  He was memorialized by Topps in 1964 on card #550 – so there’s really no excuse here.

John-Ford Griffin
2006 Topps 52 #302

Topps apparently couldn’t find Griffin to pose for a picture, so they did the 21st Century thing and photoshopped a Blue Jays uniform onto a portrait of the Braves’ Anthony LeRew, who has the same pic on #264.

The quality is outstanding, if not annoying.  There’s what Griffin looks like next to Lerew.

There you have it … who’d I miss?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 at 10:29 am and is filed under Baseball Cards, WTF. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.