1970 Topps #647 Tom Matchick
About Tom Matchick
The Tigers traded Tom Matchick to Boston for Dalton Jones in December 1969, and the Red Sox doubled his salary, planning to use him as a glove-first backup to infielders Rico Petrocelli and Mike Andrews. Topps pictured him with Boston on #647, a high number from the seventh series. In 10 games for the Red Sox he had one hit in 14 at-bats and two walks.
John Thomas Matchick, born September 7, 1943 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was a left-handed-hitting infielder. He spent six major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles from 1967 to 1972, compiling a .215 average with four home runs and 64 RBIs in 292 games. Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1962, he was drafted by Detroit that November and spent five years in the Tigers' farm system, earning a Rawlings Silver Glove and Triple-A all-star honors at Toledo in 1967 before his September call-up. His signature moment came July 19, 1968, when a ninth-inning, two-run home run off Moe Drabowsky beat Baltimore 5-4 in front of more than 53,000 fans at Tiger Stadium, a swing UPI described as the biggest blow so far in the 1968 pennant races. He appeared in the 1968 World Series as Detroit beat St. Louis, and the next year he played all four infield positions in 94 games while leading the American League in pinch-hitting.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 244 | 5 | 54 | 152 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #563 Boston Red Sox
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- #144 Ray Culp
- #163 Syd O'Brien
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- #215 Reggie Smith
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #647 card?
It is card #647 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tom Matchick of the Boston Red Sox.
Why is #647 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last series, #634-720 - the high numbers, and the toughest series of the set to find.
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.