Reds – Alternate Reds

Taking out the trash

The 1919 Project ends tomorrow with Game 8. With that post, all of the cards for the 1919 Reds will have been posted. The only problem with this series of posts is that I’ve been creating a ton of new custom designs and alternate cards that I haven’t been able to post yet.

Along with all of the new designs I’ve created recently, I’ve also created quite a few that, for one reason or another, just didn’t make the cut. For some, I decided to use the photos elsewhere. For others, I decided to use different players who were actually playing at that time. Others just…didn’t work.

I’ve decided to post all of those rejected designs here in one big gallery. You might be seeing some of these pics in future posts, and you’ll definitely be seeing some of these templates used in the future.

The future of the Reds

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.

Hey now…you’re an All-Star

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.