Skip to main content

Errer Cards: Wrong Backs


I don't buy many new cards these days, but I wanted some Hall of Fame postcards for recent inductees, so I went shopping on the HoF website. Besides the postcards, all I purchased was the Reds 2020 Topps Reds team set. In the (short) set, there were cards of Reds I collect such as Joey Votto, Louis Castillo, and Geno Suarez, which were welcome additions to my Reds collection. I was disappointed it did not include a Frank Castellanos card, who signed as a free agent over the winter, and due to his 1-yr contract and the stupid COVID-19 situation, may not ever play a single game for the Reds. Nor did it include a card of Japanese free agent pickup Shogo Akiyama.

But there was this card of Nick Senzel:


It's a fine enough looking card (I like dirty jerseys and ripped pants), but the back of the card was quite a surprise!


It's Nicks' name, position, team, even the write-up is all Nick. The rest of it is Cavan Biggio of the Blue Jays. All the vita and statistics are Biggio's.

This isn't the first card of a Red that I've seen with incorrect information on the back. Besides my brother, does anyone remember Nick Esasky?



Exactly. That's Esasky's 1986 Topps card.

Here's the back:

 That's all Vance Law.

Now errors happen. The printing process must be a huge operation. I've seen other card fronts with completely wrong card backs (like Esasky's), but Senzel's card is the first I've ever seen with part of the card back information belonging to the subject on the card front, and part of the information belonging to someone totally different.

This isn't where the weirdness ends...

Not only are both are named Nick, play(ed) for the Reds, and although the cards don't reflect it, both played third base and the outfield. But...

Did you know that they both also suffered from vertigo? Sadly, Esasky's struggle with vertigo ended his career. In his age 29 season with Boston, Esasky hit 30 home runs with 108 RBI's. Then he got vertigo, and he only played 9 more games.

Senzel was the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he shows much promise. He hits with gap power, has played 3rd base and 2nd base in the minors to much acclaim, and now he's a bonafide major league center fielder.

Let's hope Senzel's career doesn't get derailed because of it like it did Esasky's.

Stay well,

CinciCuse Bill



Labels:

Comments

  1. FujiApril 8, 2020 at 10:29 AM

    Wrong back Nicks who both suffer from vertigo? Wow. What are the odds. Great post. As for vertigo, one of the teachers at my schools suffers from it. She says it's the worst feeling and everything she's doing comes to a complete halt. I feel bad for her and anyone else who suffers from it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CinciCuse BillApril 8, 2020 at 1:35 PM

    Right - crazy isn't it! Thanks for the comment, and best of luck to your co-worker.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 8, 2020 at 7:31 PM

    ExactlyEsasky!! Just looked it up: believe it or not, he still has the vertigo. Strange.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CinciCuse BillApril 8, 2020 at 8:30 PM

      An ExactlyEsasky sighting - I like it! Too bad for Nick E. though. That must be rough.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ballplayers Turned Announcers, Actors, Writers, Etc.

  We all know of ballplayers that become announcers, actors, or writers. This post shows cards for a few notable examples, as well as a few other players with occupations that you may not be aware of. Announcers 1952 Topps card #227. Not only was Joe Garagiola a catcher for parts of nine season with four clubs, but he was also an announcer, writer, and host of numerous television shows. Joe was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award for outstanding broadcasting accomplishments and he was named as the 2014 recipient of the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, presented once every three years by the Baseball Hall of Fame for positive contributions to Major League Baseball.     1965 Topps card #65. Tony Kubek played for the Yankees for nine seasons, winning the 1957 Rookie of the Year award and selected to three All-Star games. Kubek played in six World Series in the late 1950s and early 1960s, starting in 37 World Series games. U...
6 comments
Read more

Welcome to my first post!

Original, well-loved, cards from my youth. Rose: "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball." My Story: I started collecting sports cards back in 1970 when I was about 9-yrs old. If I recall correctly, the first packs I opened in 70 and 71 contained a card of Pete Rose. Rose became my favorite player because of his hustle and desire to win, and he was one of the main cogs of the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine, my favorite team. (I still consider Rose to be one of the best players ever, but I have no respect for what he has done outside of the white lines) I collected a lot of cards up until mid 1975 which is when my interests changed, but I never got rid of those cards (nor were they thrown away by mom or dad, thankfully). I got back into collecting, on and off, from the mid 80's up to this day, but only baseball cards. Over the years, I realized I had a fairly decent collection of player cards from those days and started to organize my co...
9 comments
Read more

Retired Numbers - Oakland Athletics

  Continuing with my posts on retired numbers, below are card scans of former MLBers whose numbers have been retired by the Oakland Athletics to forever be revered. No. 9 Reggie Jackson 2013 Topps Commemorative Patch Card #RCP-7 No. 24 Rickey Henderson 1991 Bowman #692. There are so many great, great Henderson cards that I had a hard time picking out just one for this post. Well the '91 Bowman really stood out to me. No. 27 Catfish Hunter 1976 Laughlin #7. As noted here , Hunter is one of only 6 players ever that went directly from HIGH SCHOOL to the major leagues and NEVER played in the minor leagues. No. 34 Rollie Fingers 1976 Hostess #104. No. 42     Jackie Robinson 1980-1987 SSPC HoF #89. I love how Oakland's green and gold colors stand out in the border of this card. No. 43 Dennis Eckersley 2014 Panini HoF Induction Class of 2004 Autograph #78. Who do you think will be the next former Oakland A to have their uniform number to be retired? Vida Blue? Dave Ste...
8 comments
Read more