this is one of the better known o-pee-chee variations from the 1977 set.  without it, we wouldn't have much to remember zisk's days in chicago by.  that's because topps left him in his pirates uniform in 1977 and then hurried to show him as a ranger in 1978.  at any rate, we get a team variation, photo variation (both cropping and airbrushing), and the good ol' autograph placement variation (plus they shrunk his auto!) from o-pee-chee.  here is richie zisk's 1977 o-pee-chee card:
here's the topps front:
now the o-pee-chee back:
and the topps back:
the white sox acquired zisk after the 1976 season in the deal that sent goose gossage and terry forster to pittsburgh.  oh, how i wish forster and gossage were part of the 1977 o-pee-chee set.  like zisk, topps didn't acknowledge their one year on the move and airbrushed forster into a dodgers hat and gossage into yankee pinstripes for the 1978 set.  i don't know if there are any cards of forster or gossage in pirates uniforms.

back to zisk - the chisox moved him from left to right field and he responded with a career high 30 homers and 101 rbi.  ok, the two probably don't have anything to do with each other, but zisk did play well enough to earn a starting spot for the american league in the 1977 all-star game.  he made the start in left, and went 2 for 3 with 2 rbi and a double off of tom seaver.  of course, topps gypped him out of the all-star shield in 1978. zisk also homered in his first at bat with the white sox, and in doing so, became the first player to hit a home run against the blue jays.

voici à vous, 1977 richie zisk!