Gypsy Queen Uniwatch-Style

In addition to the many baseball card blogs that I read (I subscribe to 152 blogs via Google Reader), each day I also take a look at Uniwatch, a blog dedicated to sports uniforms. I really enjoy the in-depth looks and discussions on uniforms.

I think I have a pretty good eye for uniform details and that eye caught three different errors on Carlos Pena's Gypsy Queen card. I'll give Topps some credit for at least putting Pena in a Cubs uniform, but if your going to do a job, you need to do it the right way. I tell that to my third and fourth graders all the time. And Topps. I'm telling you the same thing.



First, you should take a look at the card and see if you can see the problems. I'll admit, they aren't real obvious, and you need to really know the Cubs uniform to spot them. Then scroll down a bit and see if you found the problems.

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Mistake #1: Name plate instead of directly-sew letters. I would assume that the Rays use a nameplate for the players' last name, and that particular detail remained in the picture when the Topps photo-doctors went to work. But the Cubs have never used a name plate. Their letters have always been individually sewn on. I think it would have been pretty easy for Topps to remove the nameplate, but they didn't.



Mistake #2: The number font is wrong. I'm guessing that they just changed the color of the numbers. But the font the Cubs use in a unique, rounded font. Pena's numbers are the block collegiate type. Ryne Sandberg's card gives us a good look at what the rounded 2 should look like



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Mistake #3: There is a tiny detail missing from his pants. The Cubs road pants have a small Cubs logo near the top of the left leg. Pena's pants are missing it.



You get a decent look at the logo on Starlin Castro's left leg.

So the only thing left to do is to fire up Photoshop.....



.....and do the job right! Nameplate...gone; numbers...rounded; leg logo....added.