If Albert Pujols had been on the Dodgers or Angels this year, there is likely no chance that I would write a series of posts about his baseball cards. Since he is on the Cardinals, I am going to write these throughout the season. Same general principle as the Ray Lankford posts. Nothing fancy, rare, or overly shiny. Just base cards.
Starting out with a copy of Albert's card in the 2004 Topps Heritage set, which borrowed the design from the 1955 Bowman set. However, the card dimensions are normal, no oversized cards here like the original Bowmans.
Front photo.
Notice the "Color TV" on the bottom of the frame. There is a parallel set of photos for all the cards in this set that were "Black and White TV". They were not overly rare, I believe they were one per pack of cards. Maybe every other pack at worst.
This is a supposed to be a Spring Training photo?
I don't think so.
Leave it to somebody at Topps to airbrush a card that likely didn't need to be airbrushed.
In 2004, the Cardinals always wore blue fielding hats on the road outside of Spring Training. Not the case these days, but in the early 2000s the Cardinals always wore blue road hats. Pujols is the only Cardinals veteran to have an action photo on his card in this set. Edgar Renteria, Larry Walker, Jim Edmonds, and Matt Morris all have posed photographs taken at the team's Spring Training facility.
Was Topps trying to keep the cards so they all looked like they were Spring Training photos? Did Albert stiff them on photo day?
I swear Topps.
Stop airbrushing cards.
Here is the reason why I think this is an airbrushed card, beyond the fact that the person designing the card made Albert's hat, belt, and t-shirt all mismatched colors of red.
The background of the outfield wall beyond Pujols on this card looks a lot like the corner of the left field bleachers and visitors bullpen in Busch Stadium II. The low wall with plexiglass windows and the green wall in the back of the bullpen all fit, along with the placement of the fans in the bleachers. If you look closely behind Albert's belt on the card, there is a slight dark spot, which is likely an advertisement for Ameren.
Here is a photograph of Busch II.
Albert is listed as an outfielder, which is where he played most of 2003. Many people do not remember those days, but the Cardinals moved him to left field after they traded for Scott Rolen. Everyone remembers Albert was a third baseman, right? The 2004 season was his first full year at first base after the Cardinals traded away Tino Martinez.
Good riddance.
The stats are great and Albert did some stuff that only a guy in the Hall of Fame did.
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