The worst baseball card picture ever?
 

There have been lots of questionable photos used in baseball cards over the years. From goofy to blurry to misidentified.
This one of Boss Schmidt from E92 Dockmans has to be the worst ever.

Itx not that it doesn't show his face, or clearly shows what's happening...IT'S A PAINTING!. The artist could literally have chosen to depict him in any other way. He chose a butt shot.
There is another, more standard, variation of him in the set, but this one defies explanation to me.
Anyone have worse examples?

Not as bad as a butt shot, but I always felt that Steve Garvey‘s 1973 Topps card was pretty crappy for a star of his caliber.

The worst baseball card picture ever?
 

I can think of a few, but the 1996 Pinnacle Bob Hamelin is tough to beat. How this image passed quality control is beyond me.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...eb4ed8ffa9.jpg


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By 1973 Topps (based on 1972) Garvey wasn't a star yet.

MY favorite is:

https://i.psacard.com/cardfacts/1952...4541.jpg?h=600

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. That yellow bat looks ridiculous.

Is a posed butt shot as bad as a drawn butt shot? This is the Kalamazoo Bats card for Jocko Milligan and Harry Stowe (Stovey). [I do not own this card.}

That one made me think of the 1958 Topps Brooks Robinson.

Attachment 616427

M116 Jack Lapp
 

If anyone can post this card, it’s kind of nightmarish

Have your pick from the '73 Topps set.

I'll take Boss Schmidt's ass over this one.

"Topps photographer" was a synonym for not caring about your quality of work for many years.

Here you go:

Is it Reggie? I have no idea...

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...%20PSA%207.jpg

1984 Fleer of Glenn Hubbard and a snake. Did he borrow it from Jake "the Snake" Roberts?

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now - Art of the Game #4

https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...aky+Brooks.jpg

I've always thought of the 73 Topps Clemente. Can't see his entire face and he's taking a pitch. Nice work Topps
82 Fleer Morris is also a classic. "Could you make sure we get 90% of the sky?"

The modern version:
https://beckett-www.s3.amazonaws.com...-Autograph.jpg

Richards
 

This has to be in the running…

The cropping on the 35 Goudey left Babe with a similar look:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0ea16e47_c.jpg

1973 Topps is baffling

When they asked Babe to check his thyroid gland…….
 

Here ya go

This is pretty awful.

Topps Rep: "How in high heck are we going to disguise the fact that Ron was traded from the Mets to their crosstown rivals, the Yanks?"

Topps Photog: "I got it!! I'll lay on the ground and shoot a picture of the underside of his chin. Marvelous!!"

Attachment 616462

I actually like that shot of Clemente.

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I also like that shot of Clemente.

But I, too, was wondering just the other day if that is really Reggie....hard to say!

The Topps Project Mickey Mantle by some guy named Alex Pardee.

It is truly disgusting.

I won't post it here, but if you want to see it, just look on ebay for Topps Project Mantle Pardee, but be warned.....it could give you nightmares.

Steve

Nearly every Topps Project card I've encountered is disgusting, but I admittedly don't seek them out. Maybe there are some better ones I've missed.

I have no problem with the 73 Clemente, either. That's his unmistakable profile and stance, and I like the inclusion of the catcher.

Another 73 Topps and a shot of the center field grass at Yankee Stadium that just happens to have tiny Bernie Williams on it.

One of my favorites

There are quite a few 1973 Topps cards in this thread. Personally, I like the set very much.

For those who may have an interest, there is a fairly well done YouTube video which has numerous comments on the photographs within that set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGRRPIVbiUI

The content creator also released a companion piece about '73 Topps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GG_bIHpsUo

The thing about the original card, is that could be literally anyone. I could tell you that's Ty Cobb, or Honus Wagner or Christy Mathewson. Wouldn't matter. You couldn't tell except for the glove.

Editor: "I need a drawing of Boss Schmidt"
Artist: "What does he look like"?
Editor: "No clue. Just draw something and we'll say it's him."

For Brooks Robinson, obv the 1958T is bad, but I've always thought these 2 cards from 1971T are also bad. The base card looks like a horrid swing-and-miss, and the WS card he looks like a guy stranded crawling through the desert.

https://i.ibb.co/zFJKD9H/Screen-Shot...1-03-22-PM.png

https://i.ibb.co/hBxm6Z4/Screen-Shot...1-03-34-PM.png

I actually really like this one, but because it's so odd. This entire Omaha Royals team set looks like it was shot from the stands with a disposable camera.

From a photo POV, things in the Cal McLish vein stand out most to me, leading right to Joe and Hoyt.

Once I done found out about this 1959 Fleer, I'd be snockered if I didn't get me one.

Yup, that's right, them there's Teddy Ballgame foolin' around down by the ol' tailings pond.

Brian

Good call on the Soto. Probably the ugliest popular modern card. Reminds me of a Ferengi from Deep Space 9 smelling a fart.

48 Bowman Spahn isn't very flattering. You can land stealth bombers on his schnoz

In the good old days he would have been called Jughead.

Any old-timers remember when that was called pistol grip ears?

That's one of the greatest action shots of all time!

Fergie Jenkins out at the plate.

Not baseball, but I've always thought that this Topps card of John Block could have been better . . .

I think 1973 Topps has a lot of shots that would look great as an original press photo, but aren't really very aesthetically conducive to an individual player's baseball card.

I'd have to argue, that's one of the "best" ones ever. :D

Many have already commented on the Clemente...but strangely, I also kind of like the Jack Morris card. Something about the composition, just makes it feel slightly different and more interesting than most cards.

Especially when taken in conjunction with the 1982 Fleer set, which I think is a overall nice design, but is just littered with grainy photos for some reason.

The 1982 Fleer design, with the 1983 Fleer photos, would have been an almost perfect set IMO.

That’s kind of unfair - it’s not a bad photo per se, it’s just Don Mossi looking like Don Mossi.

.

[QUOTE=Spike;2423699]From a photo POV, things in the Cal McLish vein stand out most to me, leading right to Joe and Hoyt.[

'Hey Joe, say it ain't so, you been snorting blow.'

And it seems like Block always signed this card in the black area with a ball point pin.

Here is a 1920 Zeenut 'where did the ball go?' contender.

Brian

For me, it is this one.

That man is ugly to all fields.

I stole that from someone....It fits.

I think this one started out a little differently.