1971 Topps #98 Joe Decker
About Joe Decker
Decker's best start as a Cub came on April 27, 1970, when he beat the Pirates 1-0 at Forbes Field with 8 1/3 innings of six-hit ball; he finished that year 2-7 with a 4.64 ERA. This #98, a first-series rookie card, pictures him with Chicago. In 1971 he returned from Tacoma on May 28 and went 3-2 with a 4.73 ERA as a spot starter and reliever.
Joe Decker was a right-handed pitcher who worked for the Chicago Cubs from 1969 to 1972, the Minnesota Twins from 1973 to 1976 and the Seattle Mariners in 1979. A ninth-round pick out of Petaluma High School in California in 1965, he signed for a $50,000 bonus and reached the Cubs as a September call-up in 1969. Blocked from the Chicago rotation, he went to Minnesota in a trade for Dave LaRoche before 1973 and teamed with Bert Blyleven at the top of the Twins staff. His best year was 1974, when he went 16-14 with a 3.29 ERA and 248 2/3 innings. Control problems followed, and he finished 36-44 with a 4.17 ERA over nine seasons. He pitched in the minors into 1983, later played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association and coached in the Tigers' system. He died in Fraser, Michigan, in 2003.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 375 | 0 | 13 | 194 | 136 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 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: #502 Chicago Cubs
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #12 Johnny Callison
- #38 Jim Colborn
- #64 1970 National League RBI Leaders
- #66 1970 National League Home Run Leaders
- #70 1970 National League Pitching Leaders
- #72 1970 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #90 Joe Pepitone
- #121 Cubs 1971 Rookie Stars
- #151 Tommy Davis
- #175 Jim Hickman
- #203 Larry Gura
- #220 Ron Santo
- #248 Hoyt Wilhelm
- #280 Fergie Jenkins
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #98 card?
It is card #98 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Decker of the Chicago Cubs.
Is 1971 Topps #98 a rookie card?
Yes - #98 is the 1971 Topps rookie card of Joe Decker.
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.