The 1975 Topps set went kinda crazy with the color combinations. I made my own template for this set, and it was fun playing with the different color/photo combinations.
All of these cards use the color combinations Topps actually used in ’75. I’m working on another post that will feature some of these cards with color combinations I created myself.
The Reds’ 2019 season didn’t end the way I wanted it to, of course, but it wasn’t without its share of highlights. I created these 3 cards, based on Topps’ 1975 Highlights series, to honor my three favorite things about this season.
Aquino’s 2019 is one of my all-time favorite seasons by any player, ever. They way he burst into the majors was an amazing thing to witness.
And when Garrett charged at the Pirates’ dugout, he gave us a bit of hope that there was still some life in this team.
And Geno’s record-breaking home run pace down the stretch kept things interesting even when the playoffs were well out of reach. He set new records for the number of home runs in a season by National League third basemen, and also broke the record for most homers in a season by a Venezuelan.
I posted two of these on Facebook’s Custom Baseball Cards group the other day, so I thought I’d throw ’em all up here.
These cards use the same colors as the 1975 Highlights cards for Bob Gibson, Al Kaline & others. How in the world did Topps come up with this color scheme in 1975?
While the Reds’ 2019 season has been a bit of a disappointment, the team’s outlook for 2020 is really shaping up. Trevor Bauer adds another top-tier arm to an already strong pitching lineup, and Freddy Galvis has been a solid infielder so far.
But the main reason for my 2020 optimism is the 5 guys shown below. Aristides Aquino has gone on a home run spree like the majors have never seen before, Senzel is a star in the making, VanMeter should be an everyday player, Ervin has been reliable since getting called up, and O’Grady is our future at first base.
Also…how awesome is that Topps rookie trophy? Always loved seeing that on a card.
Sorry to get that Smash Mouth song stuck in your head. Today, I’m posting a couple of cards I made to honor the two Reds pitchers who were appeared in the 2019 All-Star game: Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray. Castillo should have been the starter, but…it wasn’t my decision.
These cards are based on the 1975 Topps design, but with some significant redesigns. (To be totally transparent, I first saw one of these redesigned ’75 cards on some other blog a loooong time ago. I wish I could remember where so I could give the original designer credit. If it was you…let me know!)
Lastly, I’d like to give a shout-out to Jason Carter and his blog, The Writer’s Journey. Some of the Reds cards I saw on his site are what inspired me to start this blog, and he was even kind enough to share some of my designs on his site.
Alternate Reds 