Scoring: The two cards go head-to-head in each of the eleven categories, with the victor of each category winning a point. Extra points available where noted.
• Teamwork Extra points for symmetry (even if entirely coincidental)
• Coach Attire Extra points for eccentricity and/or coordination
• Uniforms
• Background
• Personnel
• Floating Heads Extra points if heads constitute borderline religious experience
• Card Design
• Photo Quality
• Number of Players
• Special Notation of Futility
• World Champions
1978 Indians (4) vs. 2006 Tigers (13)
Teamwork: There’s no symmetry in either photo, but that’s okay, because neither photo calls for it. The Tigers compose themselves well into three step-like rows, while the Indians are set up almost like they want to make sure you can read their uniforms. Plus, just about everybody’s standing in the Indians’ shot, so that’s something. The only guy who really looks out of place is the little off at the left end, and I think that might be Larvell Blanks. They probably didn’t want to ask him to lay across the front. 1978 Indians: 3 points (for standing) | 2006 Tigers: 2 points
Coach Attire: I can describe the Indians’ coach/front office guys attire in two words: Muted. Tasteful. Is that guy with the striped tie really Sid Caesar? Wait a minute, two of those guys have striped ties. I just thought of a third word: Yikes. Indians in a landslide, and we haven’t even gotten to the gas station attendant in the lower left corner in the kimono top. 1978 Indians: 3 points | 2006 Tigers: 1 point
Uniforms: We’re talking about two of the most classic baseball uniforms of the Twentieth Century here, and frankly, I don’t if I’m up to it. You could write a dissertation on the Indians uniform alone. I will say one thing, though: it could just be my imagination, but I think the guy to the very right in the top row of the Indians picture is wearing a batting helmet. Is that so if he falls off the riser he won’t hurt himself? Chalk up another point for the tribe. 1978 Indians: 3 points | 2006 Tigers: 3 points
Background: The Tigers are in Comerica, and while that’s nice, seeing how it’s a monstrous park, the Indians are closer to the camera, almost crowded around it as if huddled for warmth, because it looks like a strong wind could gust right through that old park their in. 1978 Indians: 2 points | 2006 Tigers: 1 point
Personnel: 1978 Indians: Eckersley (HOF), Manning, Buddy Bell, Bibby, Blanks, Bochte, Lowenstein…Lowenstein…. 2006 Tigers: Gibby, Trammell, Parrish, Pudge Rodriguez, Nook Logan, Shelton, Monroe, a bunch of others. 1978 Indians: 2 points | 2006 Tigers: 1 point
Card Design: The Indians card is clean, with just the color band within the white border and the scripty team name to keep it within the 1978 design. The Tigers card is from the 2006 Topps Heritage set, and therefore modeled on the 1957 set. It’s a nice card with a nice design. Too bad about that gigantic black bar across the card that practically obliterates the first row, creating a bad cut across a few of the guys in the first row. That black band costs this card at least one design point. 1978 Indians: 1 point | 2006 Tigers: 1 point
Photo Quality: Like other team card photos from the late Seventies, the Indians photo isn’t bad. You can tell who’s who, which is a huge step up from the cards from the late Sixties and early Seventies. You’d think then that the trend would continue and the 2006 Tigers card would feature pinpoint accurate photography, but that’s not the case. The photo’s just not that great. For one thing, the team’s posed too far away. Edge: Indians. 1978 Indians: 2 points | 2006 Tigers: 1 point
Number of Players: Well, you can see 39 different players and coaches in the Tigers card, and who knows who or what lurks underneath that black band. Kirk Gibson could’ve brought a live tiger to the ballpark that day, but the world will never know. The Indians don’t skimp either, fitting 36 assorted individuals into the frame. Edge? Hard to say. The Indians definitely have room for a few batboys, and the Tigers don’t want you to look behind the curtain. 1978 Indians: 2 points | 2006 Tigers: 2 points
Total Score: 1978 Indians: 18 points
2006 Tigers: 12 points
Indians
ReplyDelete