1968 Topps #542 John Boccabella
About John Boccabella
Another high number, issued in the seventh series of the 1968 Topps set and not Boccabella's rookie card. Boccabella's playing time with the Cubs had shrunk further, appearing in only seven games that year as the organization weighed his future. That October, the expansion Montreal Expos selected him in the 1968 expansion draft, a move that finally gave him a path to regular major-league playing time after several seasons of limited opportunity in Chicago.
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 | 301 | 12 | 79 | 158 | 35 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 17 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 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
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #5 National League 1967 Home Run Leaders
- #9 National League 1967 Pitching Leaders
- #11 National League 1967 Strikeout Leaders
- #13 Chuck Hartenstein
- #37 Billy Williams
- #60 Ken Holtzman
- #83 John Stephenson
- #101 Glenn Beckert
- #119 Ted Savage
- #136 Randy Hundley
- #159 Don Kessinger
- #179 Bill Stoneman
- #184 Lou Johnson
- #202 Adolfo Phillips
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #542 card?
It is card #542 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Boccabella of the Chicago Cubs.
Is 1968 Topps #542 a scarce card?
It is a high number card from the seventh print series, #534-598, by the checklist-card division. The last two series together (#458-598) carry only a modest premium; no short-print list exists.
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.