1977 rollie fingers

o-pee-chee didn't mess with the mustache, but they did move rollie fingers' facsimile autograph on his 1977 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

what a bad job of airbrushing.  now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

fingers had signed as a free agent in december of 1976 - plenty of time for topps to get him in his padres' gear.  with the friars, fingers appeared in a career high 78 games (the 4th straight season he had appeared in at least 70 games) and he pitched 132.1 innings.  he also won 8 games and saved 35 games for the 69-93 padres.  not a bad trick.

voici à vous, 1977 rollie lingers!

1981 rollie fingers

in december of 1980, rollie fingers (and his mustache) was traded by the padres in an 11 player deal(!) with saint louis.  that trade, however, is not the one that is reflected on his 1981 o-pee-chee card because 4 days after the future hall of famer was traded to the cardinals, they flipped him to the brewers.

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

all fingers did was go out and win the cy young and mvp award in his first season with the brew crew.  he had 28 saves, a 1.04 era, and a crazy 0.87 whip.  he had a win and a save in the alds against the yankees that year, just for good measure.  although the brewers would get back to the postseason (and all the way to the world series) in 1982, fingers was injured and unable to pitch in the playoffs or the fall classic.

voici à vous, 1981 rollie fingers!