Standing out

 

Fans have returned to the stands this season, but it still looks a little empty up there. I don't know what the vantage point is in person, but watching on TV there seems to be a lot of room to roam.

Room enough to perhaps play baseball in the stands. Like they did about 15 years ago.

You don't remember that?

Well, when would Topps not tell the truth? There it is right on your baseball card. A player preparing to take his swings in the stands.

This was a common occurrence on Topps cards between 2005-08. And seeing what you can convince card collectors do these days ("seal your card in plastic forever," "buy this one-of-a-kind digital picture of a card"), I probably could convince someone that MLB was playing baseball in the stands based on just a few cards from this time period.

Pitchers threw in the stands, sailing throws that knocked the nachos out of spectators' hands.

 

They scooped up hot grounders. You should have seen those fans scramble.

 

 

 

And they batted, too. Oh, the lawsuits. But that was life watching a game 15 years ago.

 

 

 Hitting.

 

Pitching.

 

 

 Fielding.

 

All part of getting you closer to the game.

 

Wasn't that Topps' motto?

 

Anyway, people are always ragging on the poses that appeared on the cards that I collected as a kid. But there was nothing more unrealistic than pretending to play in the stands. At least in the '70s, the players were still on the field.

 

 Then there is this.