1971 Topps #174 Dave LaRoche
About Dave LaRoche
After a 38-game rookie season with the Angels in 1970 that produced a 3.44 ERA and four saves, LaRoche appears on this second-series card, #174, his rookie card, showing him with California. He then put up a 2.50 ERA and nine saves in 56 games in 1971, and the Angels traded him to Minnesota for Leo Cardenas on November 30.
Dave LaRoche was a left-handed reliever who pitched 14 seasons, 1970 through 1983, for the Angels, Twins, Cubs, Indians and Yankees. He finished 65-58 with a 3.53 ERA and 126 saves. He struck out 819 batters in 1,049 1/3 innings and made the American League All-Star team in 1976 and 1977. He threw his own variant of the eephus pitch, which he called the "La Lob." Born David Garcia in Colorado Springs, he took his stepfather's surname at age seven, reportedly because classmates teased him over a bumbling Sergeant Garcia on the Zorro television series. The Angels drafted him in the fifth round in 1967 out of West High School in Torrance, California. With the Yankees he pitched one inning with two strikeouts in the 1981 World Series, which the Dodgers won four games to two. His sons Adam and Andy both reached the majors, and he later coached in the minors, including as pitching coach of the Brooklyn Cyclones and, in 2018, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 279 | 0 | 10 | 128 | 108 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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: #442 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #15 Andy Messersmith
- #43 Steve Kealey
- #61 1970 American League Batting Leaders
- #67 1970 American League ERA Leaders
- #78 Jim Spencer
- #105 Tony Conigliaro
- #152 Angels 1971 Rookie Stars
- #205 Gerry Moses
- #240 Clyde Wright
- #256 Tony Gonzalez
- #279 Lefty Phillips
- #318 Rudy May
- #360 Jim Fregosi
- #401 Tom Murphy
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #174 card?
It is card #174 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave LaRoche of the California Angels.
Is 1971 Topps #174 a rookie card?
Yes - #174 is the 1971 Topps rookie card of Dave LaRoche.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), 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.