1970 Topps #598 Joe Pepitone
About Joe Pepitone
Pepitone's #598, from the sixth series, pictures him with the Astros, but his 1970 was split between two clubs. He threatened to retire in July, and the Astros sold him to the Chicago Cubs on waivers about a week later. He replaced Ernie Banks at first base and finished with a .258 average, 26 home runs and 79 RBI.
Joe Pepitone, born October 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, was a left-handed first baseman and outfielder who broke in with the New York Yankees in 1962. He played through 1973 with the Astros, Cubs, and Braves, closing out that final season with the Yakult Atoms in Japan. A three-time All-Star (1963-1965) and three-time Gold Glove winner at first base (1965, 1966, 1969), he hit .258 across twelve seasons with 219 home runs and 721 RBIs. He hit seven career grand slams and placed among the American League's top 10 in home runs three times and in total bases and RBIs twice each. Signed by the Yankees out of Brooklyn's Manual Training High School for a $25,000 bonus in August 1958, he took over first base from Moose Skowron in 1963. Pepitone embraced New York nightlife and later wrote candidly about his career and personal struggles in the memoir Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud. He died March 13, 2023, at 82.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 350 | 6 | 84 | 200 | 36 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #598 card?
It is card #598 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Pepitone of the Houston Astros.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, 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 2026-10-25.