Why you can't trust baseball cards for photo matching

[Birdbats]

For the record, Berkman is wearing #12 this season. The #17 is retired in honor of Dizzy Dean. The Cardinals also don't have a pinstripe running down their pant legs. At least in the old days the "artistry" was obvious.

[LastingsMilledge85]

A lot of baseball card companies, most notably Topps, takes road pictures (because it is easier and more practical than home pictures) of players to use on their cards when they join a new team for the following season, from there they edit the players to have their new teams uniforms. It is very easy to point out when they do this, they also do it with football.

[ironmanfan]

I think last year Topps photo shopped Roy Halladay wearing a Phillies uniform bearing #32 (Steve Carlton's retired #).

I would hope that any savy collector would realize this was a photo shop, but I suppose you never know.

[Dach0sen0ne]

Sometimes it's not even be the right player. This is Austin Jackson, but Topps says its Francisco Cervelli. LOL

[ironmanfan]

Sometimes it's not even be the right player. This is Austin Jackson, but Topps says its Francisco Cervelli. LOL

The hell with Jackson, I'm wondering who the chick in the front row drinking a beer is..............

[Dach0sen0ne]

This is a photoshop job. This is a Yankee uniform and they converted the helmet into a Tigers helmet.

[CampWest]

I've also seen Topps and Upper Deck both add a bat barrel to a picture where a player is holding just the handle after a total break of the bat.

[ironmanfan]

here is a situation where Topps made a base umpire disappear

[2020mike]

I miss the good old card days when a guy was traded you'd get his card and it would simply state "TRADED" and have the new teams logo somewhere even if he was wearing his former teams uniform.

[CampWest]

I've also seen Topps and Upper Deck both add a bat barrel to a picture where a player is holding just the handle after a total break of the bat.

Here is the UD card with added Louisville bat barrel. And the same at bat from Getty... and another showing he was using his normal Phoenix, not a Louisville.