The 1975 Topps countdown, worst to best (No. 620-601)

 

With this post, the countdown will be 60 cards in ... and still will not be through with all of the airbrushed photos on the set.

The '75 set is truly in the middle of The Airbrush Era, which I would say began in the late '60s and was in full force through much of the '70s before waning in the '80s. (Artist updates has been a thing in cards long before the '60s). Although that era's airbrushing seems comical to me and others in retrospect, I barely noticed it as a kid collecting cards. I was too focused on the players and the design, I guess.

Anyway, this is the third installment of the '75 Worst to Best Countdown in which I rank every card in the set, and get ready for another round of painted hats.

620. Brent Strom (card 643)

Still not done with the Padres' butterscotch hats either. Topps insisted San Diego still wore these hats at this time, but, as seen on other cards in the set, the team had gone to the multi-colored panel caps by this point. This was one of the cards we treated as if it had cooties.

 

619. Roger Nelson (card 572)

Roger Nelson had pitched for the Reds prior to joining the White Sox, so this is an airbrushed Reds hat and the painting has turned a crimson color, which is neither Reds colors nor the White Sox colors of the day. I've given the card a bit of a pass because I have a weakness for glasses-wearing ballplayers.

 

 

618. Rico Carty (card 655)

 

There are several Cleveland Indians airbrush jobs in this segment. The Cleveland logo from this time isn't too difficult to replicate but Carty is smiling under an obvious painted hat. Also, he played for the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, A's and Indians between 1972-74 so who knows what uniform he's actually wearing.

 

 

617. Jim Northrup (641)

It's time for a flock of Orioles airbrushed hats. Painting the cartoon bird produced all kinds of variations in this set. Northrup's isn't believable for a second.

616. Ross Grimsley (card 458)

Oriole bird looks a little better on this card, although the hat is definitely painted (and possibly sculpted larger to accommodate the bird). "Scuzz" gets a point for circle-dotting the I in his name. Also, it's a card I saw as a kid, I thought it was kinda cool as it looks like it was taken at dusk.

615. Bob Oliver (card 657)

If you've been paying attention, there has been a lot of high-numbered cards already covered in this countdown. Topps wasn't issuing its set in series anymore in 1975 but there are a disproportionate number of players who changed teams in cards 500-and-above, so I think Topps was still reserving the higher numbers for some "late" transactions.

614. Elias Sosa (card 398)

Now we're on a Cardinals run of airbrushing. There sure a lot of painted St. Louis hats. Some teams really do not have a '75 team set worth boasting over.

613. Ron Hunt (card 610)

Ron Hunt played in 12 games for the Cardinals in 1974 to close his career. God bless Topps for trying.

612. Ray Sadecki (card 349)

I do not blame any kid in 1975 for pulling Ray Sadecki and thinking it was the same guy as Ron Hunt or vice versa. Fortunately I didn't get the two confused as I saw neither card that year.

611. Horacio Pina (card 139)

Horacio Pina was practically with a new team every year throughout his career. Somehow, this is just one of three airbrushed cards of his, and the only one with a painted logo.

610. Gene Clines (card 575)

The glow-in-the-dark orange Mets logo really jumps out of this card. Also, it took pulling this card for me to realize that it's in rough shape in relation to my other cards in the set. It even has a crease, which I've tried to avoid in my '75s. I've already ordered a new version.

609. Steve Kline (639)

Steve Kline stares vacantly into the distance as the Cleveland "C" slowly slides off his cap.

 

608. Wilbur Howard (card 563)

I commend the airbrusher for matching the hat color with the top border color. This happens on a couple other cards, so I wonder if this was on purpose.

607. Ken Boswell (card 479)

Really boring card. I saw this card a lot in '75 but I can't tell you how I acquired it or anything, which tells you how little I thought of it -- because I was at a point then of thinking every card was great and treasuring every acquisition.

606. Jim Perry (card 263)

Jim Perry spent one year with the Tigers in 1973. I think that's a Detroit uniform he is wearing. I didn't see this card in '75 but if I did I would've been sure he was 75 years old.

605. Billy Grabarkewitz (card 233)

So why is this card ranked so highly in relation to some other airbrushed Cubs head shots, especially with that positively cartoon Cubs hat? Well, first, he's wearing a cartoon hat. But also, I loved this card as a kid, I thought the name was great (also I challenge any current long-named MLB player to sign their name that well). Plus, all you need to do to liven up your head shot is throw a bat on your shoulder. Everyone knows that.

604. Terry Crowley (card 447)

Terry Crowley has been airbushed into a Reds uniform, meaning that Topps wants you to think that the Reds played in Yankee Stadium, which was not happening in the mid-1970s. Maybe it was foreshadowing for the 1976 World Series. But that would have been in the refurbished Yankee Stadium and this is the pre-furbished Yankee Stadium.

603. Larry Gura (card 557)

The countdown has left most of the "looking up" cards behind, but there are a handful still to come. Larry Gura does not look dazed or goofy in this pose, but kind of regal. The pink-yellow border livens up the neutral picture. It's not bad.

602. Jose Cruz (card 514)

One of the most amusing airbrushings and definitely the largest hat logo in the set. Cruz balances it out with his nickname in his signature and that bat on his shoulder.

601. Red Sox team (card 172)

One of those team cards where the team picture is a bit muddled when viewed in person. At least this Red Sox team card doesn't feature those floating head shots at the top, which just made me think those players had died.

And that does it for this episode. We will enter the 500s with the next one. We'll finally get to some cards that the players actually wanted to show their mothers ... I think.