Like my 1962 Topps green tint project, I've also always loved the San Diego Padres/Washington Senators errors included in the 1974 Topps set. As a sports writer, I know the temptation to print something you are sure is going to happen as a fact but can't be 100 percent sure about. If you take the chance, it could come back and bite you just as it did to Topps.
Here's the back story:
Original Padres owner C. Arnholt Smith conditionally sold the team to Joseph Danzansky who wanted to move the team to Washington D.C. One of the conditions of the sale was that the new owners had to figure out the stadium situation which meant breaking the 20-year lease the Padres had with San Diego Stadium.
Lawsuits ensued and as Padres fans were up in arms about the sale, McDonald's tycoon Ray Kroc was able to purchase the team our from under Danzansky for $12 million dollars instead (the Marlins were purchased for $1.3 billion dollars in 2018 by comparison).
In the middle of all this, Topps was producing its 1974 Topps set and went ahead and used "Washington" and "Nat'l Lea." for the team and city for the Padres' players, most famously with Willie McCovey's card. It made for another memorable set of Topps' error cards that reminds us that nobody's perfect.
1974 San Diego Padres/Washington Senators Needs List
Updated: 10-27-19
32a Johnny Grubb VAR: San Diego
32b Johnny Grubb VAR: Washington
53a Fred Kendall VAR: San Diego
53b Fred Kendall VAR: Washington
77a Rich Troedson VAR: San Diego
77b Rich Troedson VAR: Washington
102a Bill Greif VAR: San Diego
125a Nate Colbert VAR: San Diego
125b Nate Colbert VAR: Washington
148a Dave Hilton VAR: San Diego
148b Dave Hilton VAR: Washington
173a Randy Jones VAR: San Diego
173b Randy Jones VAR: Washington
197a Vicente Romo VAR: San Diego
197b Vicente Romo VAR: Washington
226a San Diego Padres VAR: San Diego
226b Washington "Nat'l Lea." VAR: Washington
241a Glenn Beckert VAR: San Diego
241b Glenn Beckert VAR: Washington
250a Willie McCovey VAR: San Diego
250b Willie McCovey VAR: Washington
309a Dave Roberts VAR: San Diego
309b Dave Roberts VAR: Washington
364a Clarence Gaston VAR: San Diego
364b Clarence Gaston VAR: Washington
387a Rich Morales VAR: San Diego
387b Rich Morales VAR: Washington
599a Rookie Pitchers - Ron Diorio / Dave Freisleben / Frank Riccelli / Greg Shanahan VAR: Washington
599b Rookie Pitchers - Ron Diorio / Dave Freisleben / Frank Riccelli / Greg Shanahan VAR: Large print
599c Rookie Pitchers - Ron Diorio / Dave Freisleben / Frank Riccelli / Greg Shanahan VAR: Small print
