1962 Topps #309 Moe Morhardt
About Moe Morhardt
Card #309 sits in the fourth series of 1962 Topps, and it is the recognized rookie card of the left-handed hitting Chicago Cubs first baseman. It is also his only card in the 1961-69 Topps run. That 1962 season was a brief one for him: with Ernie Banks moved to first base, Morhardt was used strictly as a pinch-hitter, including the called third strike that ended Sandy Koufax's 18-strikeout game on April 24. After 18 games and a .125 average he asked the Cubs to send him to the minors in mid-May, and he never got back to the majors.
Meredith Goodwin "Moe" Morhardt, born January 16, 1937, in Manchester, Connecticut, was a first baseman who batted and threw left-handed. A three-sport letterman at Manchester High School, he went on to the University of Connecticut, where he was an All-American in both baseball and soccer and helped lead UConn to its first two College World Series trips, in 1957 and 1959. The Chicago Cubs signed him as an amateur free agent in the summer of 1959 for a $50,000 bonus, and he moved from the outfield to first base in their farm system. He debuted on September 7, 1961, starting all seven of his September games at first base and hitting .278. He opened 1962 with the Cubs, but with Ernie Banks shifting to first base he was used strictly as a pinch-hitter; after 18 games and a .125 average he asked to be sent back to the minors, closing his major league career at 25 games and a .206 average. He played in the minors through 1964, was elected to the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and built a long Connecticut coaching career in high school, college, and summer-league baseball.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 148 | 1 | 4 | 52 | 56 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-09-24. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. Slabs of the three cards printed #139 are joined by description, never by number alone. PSA registers the green tints as a separate set; a tint's population is listed under that state of the card it belongs to.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #552 Chicago Cubs Team
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #25 Ernie Banks
- #47 Bob Will
- #66 Cuno Barragan
- #89 Barney Schultz
- #119 Danny Murphy
- #170 Ron Santo
- #191 Jim Brewer
- #240 George Altman
- #264 Dick Ellsworth
- #274 Sammy Taylor
- #288 Billy Williams
- #359 Bobby Locke
- #372 Jack Curtis
- #387 Lou Brock
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1962 Topps #309 card?
It is card #309 of the 600-card 1962 Topps Baseball set, picturing Moe Morhardt of the Chicago Cubs.
Is 1962 Topps #309 a rookie card?
Yes - #309 is the 1962 Topps rookie card of Moe Morhardt.
How many cards are in the 1962 Topps Baseball set?
600 cards, tracked as 708 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps, but three different cards were printed #139 - two Hal Reniff poses, catalogued 139a and 139b, and the Babe Hits 60 Babe Ruth Special, 139c - so 598 numbers make 600 cards; 93 cards carry catalogued print variations, the series-2 green tints among them, that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Baseball Almanac, Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, The Topps Archives, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-03.