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C.A.: 2002 Upper Deck ... uh, something ... Shawn Green

(About a year ago, I made a grand announcement that my hours were changing. That, for the first time in decades, I would have weekends off. Well, the grand experiment is over. My hours are going back to how they were, and I'm working weekends again, starting this week. Oh well. Fun while it lasted. Weird, but fun. Cardboard appreciation time. This is the 143rd in a series):


OK, it's "Explain The Card To Night Owl" time. (I haven't done one of these for awhile).

I received this card from Max. Some sort of Upper Deck retro tribute card from 2002.

While staring a hole through it trying to come up with a post idea, I noticed that the number on his uniform was backward. Then I noticed that his helmet seemed to be airbrushed. Then the uniform sleeves looked more Blue Jay blue than Dodger blue to me.

And, then it occurred to me: I know absolutely nothing about this card. Not only do I not know the set from whence it came, but I can't even make any factual statements about the photo on the card, other than it does, in fact, appear to be Shawn Green.

The uniform is a mystery. I don't recall the Blue Jays ever wearing red numbers. But that jersey top just doesn't look Dodger-like. And where is the team name on that uniform anyway?

Then there is the whole backward thing. Green was a left-handed batter. But this photo makes him look like he's in the right-handed batter's box, watching the big fly that he just hit RIGHT-HANDED with HIS BACKWARD NO. 15 and NO TEAM NAME on his UNIFORM.

Maybe Green liked to hit right-handed just for kicks. Maybe when he was hitting right-handed just for kicks, he liked to turn his uniform top inside-out and wear it with the number backward.

I don't know. I'm so confused.

Have I mentioned I don't know what set this is?

Anyone know?

Anybody?

Comments

Stealing Home said…
LoL...that's why you're the man. stuff like this in cards happen all the time (apparently), right under our noses...and we just don;t see it until you point it out.
thanks for being the big finger pointing at stuff and saying.."??"
hiflew said…
This is from the 2002 Upper Deck Authentics set and is a reverse negative parallel. I guess they were making a throwback parallel set for their own ineptitude in determining correct photos in their first set.
tonyging said…
The original 1989 Upper Deck set had people going crazy trying to find the #357 Dale Murphy card, which had been printed with a reverse negative photo before being corrected. So in the 2002 Upper Deck Authentics set (which has the 1989 Upper Deck card design), UD decided to make an entire parallel set with reverse negatives.
night owl said…
Wow ... Just ... Wow.
jacobmrley said…
All of that information is correct. I have the entire 2002 UD Authentics set (look for a Complete Set Sunday on it eventually). All of the cards have a reverse negative parallel. I never did complete the negative set, but I kept a page worth of them. I found that Green for you, and obviously stumped the band (yay! I win!). I find it odd that they airbrushed out the backwards team logos, but they did it on all the cards. Must have been some kind of issue with copyright or something stupid like that. But it does show that UD could have made the 2010 set properly, if they wanted to.
Cory said…
I have a Hideo Nomo card but it is from the regular set. Never knew where it came from or what set it was until now.