1971 Topps #278 Jerry Grote
About Jerry Grote
Grote caught 122 games for New York in 1971 and led National League catchers with 892 putouts. At the plate, he batted .270 with 109 hits in 403 at-bats. He hit two home runs and drove in 35. His Mets card, #278, belongs to the third series.
Jerry Grote learned to catch under former Tigers manager Del Baker while attending Trinity University in San Antonio. He signed with Houston in 1962 and built a batting cage from chicken wire and carpeting at his parents' farm, practicing against a pitching machine he and a friend assembled. His major league career covered 16 seasons with the Colt .45s, Mets, Dodgers and Royals. He caught every inning of New York's 1969 postseason and collected two hits that helped decide World Series games: a ninth-inning single in Game 2 and a leadoff double in the tenth inning of Game 4. Grote finished with 1,092 hits and a .252 average. After playing, he managed in the minors and later broadcast Round Rock Express games. The Mets inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 268 | 0 | 8 | 97 | 112 | 32 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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: #641 New York Mets
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- #68 1970 National League ERA Leaders
- #72 1970 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #83 Mets 1971 Rookie Stars
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- #115 Donn Clendenon
- #136 Duffy Dyer
- #160 Tom Seaver
- #183 Gil Hodges
- #228 Wayne Garrett
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- #310 Tommie Agee
- #335 Jerry Koosman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #278 card?
It is card #278 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jerry Grote of the New York Mets.
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.