OPC IMAGE VARIATION: 1977 JOE FERGUSON

Up on the blog today, we take a closer look at the OPC and Topps image variation for Joe Ferguson's 1977 cards:

OPC version

Topps version

Whereas the Topps card has the catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he suited up in 1976, the OPC card has him airbrushed into a Houston Astros uniform, reflecting his recent trade to the team.

After putting in half a season with the Cardinals in 1976, Ferguson was part of a multi-player trade that also saw former All-Star pitcher Larry Dierker head to St. Louis.

Ferguson would have a decent year for the Astros in 1977, hitting .257 over 132 games with 16 homers and 61 runs batted in.

He'd start 1978 with the Astros before finding himself where it all began, the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he started his career in 1970 and where he played up until 1976.

He had himself a nice 14-year Major League career, really acting as a back-up or platooning catcher, with only two seasons seeing him get as many as 500 plate appearances: 1973 with L.A. and 1977 with Houston.
His 1973 season with the Dodgers got him some MVP consideration, as he hit .263 with 25 homers and 88 runs batted in, along with 87 walks and 84 runs scored. Not bad at all!
For his career, he finished with a .240 average with 122 homers and 445 RBIs, with 719 hits over 3001 at-bats.

 

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION: 1971 JOE FERGUSON

Today's blog post has a "not so missing" 1971 card for catcher Joe Feruson of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made his Big League debut with five appearances in 1970:

Ferguson went 1-for-4 at the plate over that time, with a run batted in and a couple walks as part of a trove of young new talent taking over the Dodgers line-up at that time.

Over the next 13 Big League seasons he had himself a nice 14-year Major League career, really acting as a back-up or platooning catcher, with only two seasons seeing him get as many as 500 plate appearances: 1973 with L.A. and 1977 with Houston.
His 1973 season with the Dodgers got him some MVP consideration, as he hit .263 with 25 homers and 88 runs batted in, along with 87 walks and 84 runs scored. Not bad at all!
For his career, he finished with a .240 average with 122 homers and 445 RBIs, with 719 hits over 3001 at-bats.

HEADING NORTH FOR AN OPC AIRBRUSH GEM- 1977 JOE FERGUSON

Just had to venture North to profile an OPC 1977 airbrush job for former catcher Joe Ferguson, who got the neon-treatment from Topps on this card:

After splitting the 1976 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, Ferguson was traded over to Houston in November for Jerry DaVanon and Larry Dierker.
Not having a chance to get him in that beautiful Astros uniform, the people at Topps went to work and gave us (as in Canada) this gem, a seemingly hand-drawn orange blob of a cap with v-neck piping to cover up what I am assuming is a Dodger uni.
Gotta love it!
As for Ferguson, he had himself a nice 14-year Major League career, really acting as a back-up or platooning catcher, with only two seasons seeing him get as many as 500 plate appearances: 1973 with L.A. and 1977 with Houston.
His 1973 season with the Dodgers got him some MVP consideration, as he hit .263 with 25 homers and 88 runs batted in, along with 87 walks and 84 runs scored. Not bad at all!
For his career, he finished with a .240 average with 122 homers and 445 RBIs, with 719 hits over 3001 at-bats.