Cards for a player when he never played for the pictured team...

matthewbschultz83 · May 31, 2012 3:20AM

Starting a new thread in the vein of the Lets Build a 1952 Topps set. I am fascinated by seeing players in what appear to be wrong uniforms (ie., Unitas with the Chargers, Ruth with the Braves, Aaron with the Brewers, etc.). I was flipping through some old binders the other day and noticed a Canseco card with the Angels. Not remembering him playing for Anaheim, I checked out baseball reference. Sure enough Canseco signed a minor league deal with the Halos but never made the Major League team. Lets see how many of these oddities we can find.

Canseco also never played for the Expos

Edit: had orignially typed Colts next to Unitas's name.

Ironmanfan · May 31, 2012 3:24AM

yeah, I remember Dennis Blair is pictured with the Orioles in the 1978 Topps set although he never played with them...

IMF

gemint · May 31, 2012 3:56AM

I think you mean Unitas with the Chargers.

jeffcbay · May 31, 2012 3:56AM

Chris Spielman never played in a regular season game for the Browns because he had a career-ending neck injury in the pre-season.

I still wear his Browns jersey to games because he's from my home town (Massillon, Ohio). This is a picture of me from a photo-shoot that Cleveland Magazine was doing at one of the tailgate parties last year.

shagrotn77 · May 31, 2012 4:25AM

I've always found those kinda cards cool as well. A couple that come to mind are 1984 Donruss Sid Fernandez (Dodgers) and Joe Carter (Cubs). You also have Ryne Sandberg (Phillies) and Mike Piazza (Marlins) for players who were with teams only long enough for a cup of joe.

FavreFan1971 · May 31, 2012 4:32AM

Aaron did play two seasons for the Brewers. What about players in their old teams uniform but stated they are on another team. I know football has a bunch of those "now with Bears" on the front of the card.

cwazzy · May 31, 2012 4:35AM

Preacher Roe's 1955 Bowman card picturing him with the Orioles.

matthewbschultz83 · May 31, 2012 4:44AM

<< Aaron did play two seasons for the Brewers. What about players in their old teams uniform but stated they are on another team. I know football has a bunch of those "now with Bears" on the front of the card. >>

I wasn't very clear on that. I enjoy the photos of the iconic player who spen 24 years with team A and then plays for team B in his final year or two like Aaron, Ruth, etc. This takes it a step farther with guys that never played for the team in the card they're pictured with.

Don't know why they were included in the "traded" series. Neither spent anytime with the Rangers

GB5HOF · May 31, 2012 4:45AM

Actually...there are probably a lot of these Bowman ones...but he's a pretty good player that never made it on the field with the D-Backs.

digicat · May 31, 2012 4:53AM

A's traded Andre Ethier to the Dodgers for Milton Bradley. OOPS!

As I recall, Oakland managed to contain Bradley's antics and he was a fairly productive player that season (they won the division).

WinPitcher · May 31, 2012 5:03AM

Mathew great idea for a thread, however, I am not sure what you mean by "Aaron with the Brewers"
and, Ruth does (I think) have a card as a Brave, (1962 Topps)

Edited to add: by wrong you mean not on the team they are known for?

brianwintersfan · May 31, 2012 5:15AM

Gianelli never played with the Cavs. Not sure how Topps screwed this one up. My dad even asked him after a Bucks game when he played for Milwaukee back in the 70's. He also had no clue.

matthewbschultz83 · May 31, 2012 5:31AM

<< Mathew great idea for a thread, however, I am not sure what you mean by "Aaron with the Brewers"
and, Ruth does (I think) have a card as a Brave, (1962 Topps)

Edited to add: by wrong you mean not on the team they are known for? >>

Correct, not the team they are known for: Namath with the Rams, Lofton with the Astros, Aaron with the Brewers etc. I am fascinated by photos/cards with teams they're not known for. This thread is taking a step farther.

nearmint · May 31, 2012 6:01AM

Topps listed John Henry Johnson with the Browns in 1957, and went so far as to recolor his uniform to put him in Browns colors. He was never with the Browns, though. In 1957 he played for the Lions, who obtained him directly from the 49ers in a trade. Here are his 1955 Bowman and 1957 Topps cards.

NHLfightguy · May 31, 2012 6:01AM

Rich Hill has a Allen ginter cert auto in St. Louis Cardinals jersey. He never played for them...

scmavl · May 31, 2012 6:52AM

This would've been a great card. Thanks, Bob.

digicat · May 31, 2012 6:54AM

<< This would've been a great card. Thanks, Bob. >>

That trade was voided immediately since Jackie retired instead.

StormBear · May 31, 2012 7:02AM

1976-77 Topps shows Moses Malone with the Portland Trailblazers. He was selected by Portland in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft but was traded to Buffalo before the season started and never played for the Blazers. He played two games for the Buffalo Braves in 1976 before being traded to Houston.

bbuckner22 · May 31, 2012 7:04AM

Wasn't Johnny Podres retired for two years when he appeared on a 69 San Diego card? I think Topps just liked the Podres playing for the Padres aspect of it.

AC000000 · May 31, 2012 7:14AM

<<

This would've been a great card. Thanks, Bob. >>

UUUGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
My eyes are burning! My eyes are burning! That's the worst card I've seen since the 1975 Topps #35 Ron Santo.

(nice work though)

zep33 · May 31, 2012 7:55AM

To go along with the Aaron, Namath part of the thread...

bbuckner22 · May 31, 2012 8:24AM

Zep, is that Mays card graded? Looks like a blazer. Orr in a Hawks jersey was a travesty.

JeffD27177 · May 31, 2012 8:27AM

This one cracks me up:

Or you could go in the opposite direction with him:

PeteZaria · May 31, 2012 9:35AM

<< Don't know why they were included in the "traded" series. Neither spent anytime with the Rangers

>>

They did - they just didn't play in any regular season games with the Rangers.

zep33 · May 31, 2012 9:38AM

<< Zep, is that Mays card graded? Looks like a blazer. Orr in a Hawks jersey was a travesty. >>

not my cards - just googled it real quick when I thought of those 2

sportscardtheory · May 31, 2012 9:51AM

<< This one cracks me up:

Or you could go in the opposite direction with him:

>>

Favre played in 2 games with the Falcons.

davelinkbelt · May 31, 2012 11:00AM

[/IMG] <a href="http://s1160.photobucket.com/albums/q481/davelinkbelt/?action=view&current=p-529983-reggie-jackson-baseball-card-1988-score-501-baltimore-orioles-67-aw-44398.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q481/davelinkbelt/p-529983-reggie-jackson-baseball-card-1988-score-501-baltimore-orioles-67-aw-44398.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

jeffcbay · May 31, 2012 12:07PM

<<

[/IMG] <a href="http://s1160.photobucket.com/albums/q481/davelinkbelt/?action=view¤t=p-529983-reggie-jackson-baseball-card-1988-score-501-baltimore-orioles-67-aw-44398.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q481/davelinkbelt/p-529983-reggie-jackson-baseball-card-1988-score-501-baltimore-orioles-67-aw-44398.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> >>

He played 134 games for the O's in 1976.

pomobileclk · May 31, 2012 12:25PM

an amusing story about Moses Malone, I sent these custom cards to be signed by Moses in a private signing. He signed 5 out of the 6 but wouldn't sign the sixth one, saying it wasn't him. According to him "I no have no rows". I think that note is better than having the autograph....

brianwintersfan · May 31, 2012 12:43PM

<< an amusing story about Moses Malone, I sent these custom cards to be signed by Moses in a private signing. He signed 5 out of the 6 but wouldn't sign the sixth one, saying it wasn't him. According to him "I no have no rows". I think that note is better than having the autograph....

>>

From the man who gave us "Fo-Fo-Fo"
Lol!

saucywombat · May 31, 2012 12:51PM

<< an amusing story about Moses Malone, I sent these custom cards to be signed by Moses in a private signing. He signed 5 out of the 6 but wouldn't sign the sixth one, saying it wasn't him. According to him "I no have no rows". I think that note is better than having the autograph....

>>

F'ing Outstanding

GDM67 · May 31, 2012 1:34PM

Those are really sweet customs. At least he didn't get mad and refuse to sign any of them.

The whole thing about him being briefly a Blazer is covered in David Halberstam's excellent book The Breaks of the Game. The other players were very unhappy when that trade went down. They had run some practices with him and they knew what a tremendous talent he was becoming. As Bill Walton said, they didn't trade him, they gave him away.

benderbroeth · May 31, 2012 1:39PM

<< Those are really sweet customs. At least he didn't get mad and refuse to sign any of them.

The whole thing about him being briefly a Blazer is covered in David Halberstam's excellent book The Breaks of the Game. The other players were very unhappy when that trade went down. They had run some practices with him and they knew what a tremendous talent he was becoming. As Bill Walton said, they didn't trade him, they gave him away. >>

~sigh~ as a blazer fan i can believe that, i think we would have like 1-6 championships had we kept him, in myu view worst mistake the blazers ever made, even worse than oden or not getting jordan

psychump · May 31, 2012 1:50PM

psychump · May 31, 2012 1:51PM

psychump · May 31, 2012 1:54PM

psychump · May 31, 2012 1:56PM

First Topps

prthd · May 31, 2012 1:59PM

<< Chris Spielman never played in a regular season game for the Browns because he had a career-ending neck injury in the pre-season.

I still wear his Browns jersey to games because he's from my home town (Massillon, Ohio). This is a picture of me from a photo-shoot that Cleveland Magazine was doing at one of the tailgate parties last year.

>>

ROCK ON!!

I wear my Spielman jersey all the time. I love rockin it.