1977 dave roberts

i wish all photo variations by way of cropping were as easy to spot as the one we get thanks to dave roberts' 1977 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

o-pee-chee also messed with the placement of the facsimile autograph, for reasons known only to them.

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

just so we;re clear - this is david arthur roberts, not david wayne roberts who was a major leaguer during the 1970's as well (we will see him in a couple of weeks).  in fact, david wayne roberts debuted for the padres in 1972, the year after david arthur roberts left the team, so i am guessing that there were some confused fans in san diego when dave roberts was no longer a pitcher, but was instead playing the infield.

anyway, you may have guessed that my first impression of this dave roberts was not good, as topps was kind enough to let me know that he once retired 18 consecutive dodgers.  his streak began when he entered the game in the second inning and got willie davis to ground into an inning ending double play.  it continued until roberts walked maury wills with one out in the 8th.

roberts returned to the national league in 1977 when he had his contract purchased by the cubs near the end of july.  the cubs used him as both a starter and a reliever, and to my relief, he didn't get into a game against the dodgers that year.

voici à vous, 1977 dave roberts!