1967 Topps #578 John Boccabella
About John Boccabella
A high number in the 1967 Topps set, issued in the seventh series, and not Boccabella's rookie card. Boccabella entered 1967 coming off his catching conversion, and that spring Durocher briefly handed him the Cubs' first-base job over Ernie Banks before reversing course. Playing time was scarce that season, with Boccabella appearing in just 25 games split mostly between the outfield and first base while continuing to develop as a catcher in Chicago's system.
John Boccabella was a San Francisco native who starred at Santa Clara before signing with the Chicago Cubs out of college in 1963. A first baseman with power, he hit .365 with 30 home runs in his first pro season at Pocatello and reached the majors that September at age 22. Cubs manager Leo Durocher converted him to catcher in 1966 to back up Randy Hundley, and Boccabella spent parts of twelve seasons in the majors with the Cubs, Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants. Montreal took him in the 1968 expansion draft, and he became the Expos' primary catcher in 1973, setting career highs in games, home runs and RBIs that year, including a two-homer sixth inning at Jarry Park. He finished his career with the Giants in 1974. Known for soft hands and a quick release behind the plate, he threw out 41 percent of attempted base stealers over his career.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 417 | 1 | 42 | 189 | 120 | 41 | 14 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 41 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. PSA registers a row for every one of the 624 states; SGC lists no separate row for the #149 white-streak state.
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Related cards
Team card: #354 Chicago Cubs
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- #39 Curt Simmons
- #70 Ron Santo
- #87 George Altman
- #106 Randy Hundley
- #124 Jim Stewart
- #148 Adolfo Phillips
- #168 Ray Culp
- #171 Calvin Koonce
- #185 Ken Holtzman
- #215 Ernie Banks
- #256 Bob Hendley
- #272 Cubs 1967 Rookie Stars
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1967 Topps #578 card?
It is card #578 of the 609-card 1967 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Boccabella of the Chicago Cubs.
Why is #578 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last print series, #534-609 - the scarce end of the set, holding both Hall of Fame rookies (Carew #569, Seaver #581). Twenty-two of the 76 are accepted double prints, so scarcity varies card by card inside the run.
How many cards are in the 1967 Topps Baseball set?
609 cards, tracked as 624 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 609 without a gap - no number was skipped and none was used twice - and 15 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-12.