1968 Topps #33 Pete Ward
About Pete Ward
Card #33 in the 1968 Topps set's first series puts Ward back at third base, where he spent most of the year. The Year of the Pitcher dragged his average to a career-low .216, but the rest of the line held up better than that number suggests: 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and a career-high 76 walks that lifted his on-base percentage to .354. On a thin Chicago club he was one of the only above-average hitters and the only one to reach double figures in home runs. Early that season his errors at third cost the Sox a string of unearned runs in a doubleheader against Detroit, and Eddie Stanky publicly backed him.
Pete Ward was a Canadian-born third baseman who appeared in 973 games over nine major league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. Born in Montreal on July 26, 1937, the son of Montreal Maroons hockey star Jimmy Ward, he moved to Portland, Oregon at age eight and became the first Lewis and Clark College player to reach the majors. Baltimore signed him in 1958, and after five minor league seasons he debuted with the Orioles on September 21, 1962, delivering a two-run single in his first at bat. The following January the Orioles traded him to Chicago in the blockbuster that brought Luis Aparicio to Baltimore. Installed as the White Sox third baseman in 1963, Ward hit .295 with 22 home runs and was named The Sporting News American League Rookie of the Year. A car accident early in 1965 left him with a neck injury he never shook, and he spent the rest of his career as a corner infielder and outfielder before a final season in New York in 1970. Ward later managed in the minors and coached for the Braves, entered the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and died in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · Baseball Almanac · Canada's Baseball Hall of Fame
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 251 | 14 | 57 | 117 | 36 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1968 Topps 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: #424 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #8 American League 1967 ERA Leaders
- #14 Jerry McNertney
- #51 Bob Locker
- #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 #33 card?
It is card #33 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Pete Ward 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.