Proofs are sort of a big puzzle, especially from Topps who did a LOT of proofing. That's probably related to either needing or wanting player approval or wanting to get the art just right.
The possibilities that come to mind.
The cards all seem to be series 1, it's possible Brinkman was correct in proofing and was done incorrectly in production. The art would be correct, but still would have to be turned into masks then plates. If the mask made got the yellow removed from the name that would be a fairly simple mistake. The MB sheet reconstruction that's out there doesn't have any of the baseball together in three rows, but in individual rows. Since it's a 132 card sheet it's not certain what the other side would have been, but it should have been the same or similar.
There's a chance it is a proof for the MBs, but they were proofing it at a point where the set was either intended to be larger or all baseball. It would have been simpler for them to send MB a batch of normal first series with the errors corrected.
I found it along with others in this thread.
http://forums.collectors.com/textthr...hreadid=840362
It matches the 68 first series layout and goes along with others, one has the same tear at the bottom, but all 11 columns.
Steve B