1968 Topps #51 Bob Locker
About Bob Locker
1968 Topps #51, in the first print series, pictures Locker with the Chicago White Sox. He opened the season pitching through elbow soreness before regaining form in the second half, when manager Al Lopez returned to the club; from June onward Locker held hitters to a low batting average and closed the year with his best half-season ERA.
Bob Locker was a right-handed relief pitcher from George, Iowa, who threw a sinker so heavy that hitters often beat it into the ground. A geology graduate of Iowa State, he lost two seasons to military service before reaching the majors at age 27 in 1965. Locker anchored bullpens for five teams over a decade in the majors, most notably a Chicago White Sox staff that led the American League in ERA for four straight years and an Oakland Athletics team that won the 1972 World Series, where he pitched in relief. He worked as a setup man ahead of closer Rollie Fingers during Oakland's championship run and also pitched for the Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs. He finished with a 2.75 career ERA and 95 saves over 576 games, all in relief, without ever making a start.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 263 | 4 | 56 | 123 | 45 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 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. Slabs of the yellow team-letter #49 and #66 are 1968 Milton Bradley game cards and are not counted here.
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Related cards
Team card: #424 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #8 American League 1967 ERA Leaders
- #14 Jerry McNertney
- #33 Pete Ward
- #72 Tommy John
- #99 Rocky Colavito
- #125 Joe Horlen
- #142 White Sox 1968 Rookie Stars
- #172 Walt Williams
- #210 Gary Peters
- #229 Fred Klages
- #259 Ken Boyer
- #265 Tommy Davis
- #287 White Sox 1968 Rookie Stars
- #310 Luis Aparicio
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #51 card?
It is card #51 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Locker of the Chicago White Sox.
How many cards are in the 1968 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 606 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 without a gap and no printed number carries two different cards; eight cards - six of the seven checklists, #10 AL Pitching Leaders and #400 Mike McCormick - carry a catalogued print variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball Almanac, Beckett, 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.