1977 steve garvey

we have finally come to the last of the award variations, as steve garvey had his all-star banner removed from his 1977 o-pee-chee card.  in true opc fashion, his facsimile autograph was also displaced, and the left to right photo crop was modified, too.  here is garvey's 1977 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

garvey's 1977 cards are not my favorite - but they're close.  one of the reasons i like his 1978 topps/opc cards so much is because of his 1977 season.  had he not hit 33 home runs or driven in 115 runs in 1977 (both career highs), maybe i wouldn't have been as big of a fan.  as it turned out, i was desperate to get his '78 card in a pack.  it took me a while to warm to the 1977 set, but now i like it. and, i like garvey's card with and without the all-star banner.

garvey was one of four dodgers to hit over 30 home runs in 1977, and he also won his fourth and final career gold glove.  he started the all-star game at first for the national league for the fourth year in a row, and finished 6th in the league mvp voting.  1977 was the only season in the seven year stretch from 1974 to 1980 that he didn't get at least 200 hits (he got 192), and the only year in the eight years from 1973 through 1980 that he didn't hit over .300 (he hit .297).

voici à vous, 1977 steve garvey!