juan marichal final tribute - the card that should have been

when i drew up a short list of cards that should have been, this one was number 3 or 4 on the list.  travis took care of cards one and two of the top 4, and i (and doc) took a shot at another.  i still haven't seen anyone try this, probably because the only photo i know of juan marichal wearing a dodger hat is in black and white, and he's not in full uniform. 

juan appeared in exactly 2 games for the dodgers early in the 1975 season.  they would be the final two appearances of his career as he gave up 11 hits, 9 earned runs, and struck out only one batter in 6 innings of work and was released by the dodgers shortly thereafter.  this means that the 1976 card would have been a final tribute with his complete career stats on the back - something every player (even former giants who took a bat to john roseboro's head) deserves.

i have scoured the internet, visiting the usual sources for photos and have come up empty.  so i asked myself, what would topps do?  and topps would recycle a photo.  so, with that in mind, i give you the 1976 topps juan marichal card that should have been

if the photo looks familiar, it's because i took it from marichal's 1974 topps traded card and reversed it. 

i also bleached the uniform, airbrushed his neck, and used someone else's top part of the cap to get a small bit of the interlocking 'la' logo.  not too bad if i do say so myself.

 

here's to you, 1976 topps juan marichal card that should have been!