Card of the Week: Photoshop Magic

This weeks card of the week has been lurking around the collector blogs for quite some time. It is the 2008 Topps Stadium Club card of Manny Ramirez in a Dodger uniform. Why is that important? Well, this card set came out shortly after the Manny trade to LA, so the chances of a Manny in Blue card was low. Fortunately, Topps did not disappoint.

At first glance, I was just happy to have Manny in a Dodger uniform, but there is so much more happening here. If not for the 'net I would never have noticed the chicanery. It is a almost perfect photoshop creation.

• Did you notice that there is no umpire? I didn't, at first.
  
• The background is neither Dodger Stadium or AT&T Park. It is of Fenway park- just colored in blue. Also, the 99 advertisement is of a chain of restaurants in the Boston area.
  
• Numerous fans in the stands have washed out hats that probably sported a giant "B" for Boston.
  
• The pitcher is Matt Morris who wore #22 in 2007 in tribute to a former roommate, Mike Matheny. Matheny had retired from Baseball due to post concussion syndrome- too many foul balls off the mask. In 2007 the Giants faced the Red Sox at Fenway and is probably where the photo originates.