Speaking of Dexter Fowler...

Yesterday, I mentioned that I had picked up some Dexter Fowler cards despite them showing him as a Cardinal. Today's post will talk about one that I didn't buy but came across as I researched the others.

This card looks like a normal 2017 Topps base card but is actually the New Era variation. Last year's edition came in a pack of four cards that was free with the purchase of a New Era hat at local LIDS stores. There were only 9 cards in the base set.

This year, they upped the ante and made them free with the purchase of a New Era hat and one of the factory team sets and was only available in a stadium team store. They did double down and put eight cards in the pack, but also bumped the set up to 32 cards, one for each team and a second for the Cubs and Red Sox. Additionally, there was an 18-card set based on the 1987 design. Of course there was. Topps love them some 1987.

Two things made me think it was a photoshop at first glance. The first was the red of the Cardinals uniform. There seems to be a different tint for every appearance. Also, the sleeve by his elbow has a blue Jumpman logo. Did they miss it when photoshopping or is it just a holdover from his Cubbie Blue days and they left it?

Those thoughts were just a split second though because as soon as I looked at the background, I pretty much knew it wasn't photoshopped. At least from Cubs to Cardinals.

I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable baseball fan but I wouldn't necessarily put my Yankees expertise up against anybody. However, even I instantly recognized the façade of Yankee Stadium up around Fowler's shoulders.

Combining that with the fact that the Yankees played in Wrigley Field this year means the Cubs haven't played in Yankee Stadium since 2014. And Fowler's Cubs tenure was 2015-2016.

Double checking my work, I headed over to the Getty Images website to find the source photo. Sure enough a search of "Fowler Yankees 2017" yielded 44 results, including this one from April 15, 2017:

Way to go! Good job! Pats on the back all the way around!

Wait a minute. Hold up. Did anybody catch that this is photoshopped?

Let me zoom in a bit on the area in question to help you out.

Someone, somewhere along the line made the conscious decision to hide the fact that this photo came from 2017's Jackie Robinson Day celebration, the day each year where every player dons #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

I know that Topps did SP photo variations using players wearing #42 in 2016 but have not heard anything about 2017.

Sorry to disappoint but I do not have any answers myself. Anybody with a good conspiracy theory?

How weird is that?