1977 bob boone

phillies' catcher bob boone got a slight photo crop adjustment and facsimile autograph rotation on his 1977 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

boone caught 131 games for the nl east champion phillies in 1977.  he set career highs in runs scored, doubles, and rbi that year, and topped his previous career high of 10 home runs with 11 long balls.  he also went 4 for 10 in the nlcs that year against the dodgers.  but we all know how that series turned out.

voici à vous, 1977 bob boone!

1982 bob boone in action

last time the 1982 variations came around, we learned that bob boone was 'traded' to the angels.  here's boone's second variation in the '82 set, his 1982 o-pee-chee 'in action' card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

just like with dave lopes' in action card, there seems to be a lot of inaction.  boone would add to some of those career highlights while with the angels.  he made the american league all-star team in 1983 and played in both the 1982 and 1986 alcs. in fact, his .455 performance in the '86 championship series would kick that 1977 nlcs highlight way off the back of the card.  unfortunately, playing for the angels in the mid '80's means he never made it back to the world series.

voici à vous, 1982 bob boone in action!

1982 bob boone

bob boone's contract was sold by the phillies to the angels in december of 1981, despite what it says on his 1982 o-pee-chee card:

traded for money, i suppose.

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

boone had been the nl player rep during the player strike in 1981, so there was speculation that his role had hastened his departure from philly.  it's worth noting that his american league counterpart was doug decinces, who also switched teams for the 1982 season - both he and boone wound up with gene autry's angels.

boone went right to work and earned his 3rd of 7 gold gloves in 1982 and helped the angels reach the alcs for only the second time in their history. 

voici à vous, 1982 bob boone!

1989 bob boone

bob boone signed as a free agent with the kansas city royals prior to the 1989 season.  here's his 1989 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

the 41-year old boone would play more games at catcher in 1989 than anyone else in the league (129) and picked up his 4th consecutive gold glove (the 7th of his career).  boone was replaced as the royals' everyday catcher in 1990 by mike mcfarlane, but he still extended his record of games caught to 2225.  that record was later eclipsed by carlton fisk and then ivan rodriguez.  boone's last at bat in his career came against his old club, the california angels.  he hit a run-scoring single off of jim abbott, and was pinch hit for in his next turn at bat by jeff schulz.

voici à vous, 1989 bob boone!