1972 Topps #734 Bob Burda
About Bob Burda
On May 15, 1971, at the Astrodome, Bob Burda pinch-hit for Steve Carlton and drove in the tying and winning runs. When he sought a raise for 1972, August Busch refused, citing President Nixon's 5.5 percent wage-freeze guideline, and Burda became a holdout. Near the end of spring training the Cardinals traded him to Boston for Mike Fiore, and his 1972 Topps card, #734, has him with the Red Sox. He hit .164 in 45 games for Boston, and his last major league game was August 23.
Edward Robert Burda, a left-handed-hitting first baseman and outfielder from St. Louis, spent seven seasons in the majors between 1962 and 1972 with the Cardinals, Giants, Brewers and Red Sox after signing with St. Louis out of the University of Illinois. He spent most of his long professional career blocked by star teammates such as Stan Musial, Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey, so his big-league chances came mostly in bursts, including a half-season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. Burda hit .224 with 13 home runs and 78 RBI over 388 games. He led the National League in pinch-hits for the 1971 Cardinals and closed his career the following year with the Boston Red Sox. He began wearing glasses in the minors after being hit in the face with a ball in 1967 and found to be nearsighted, and he said they also trained him to keep his head still while batting.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 217 | 5 | 27 | 111 | 57 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #328 Boston Red Sox
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #2 Ray Culp
- #30 Rico Petrocelli
- #37 Carl Yastrzemski
- #38 Carl Yastrzemski In Action
- #79 Red Sox 1972 Rookie Stars
- #88 1971 A.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #113 Rogelio Moret
- #144 Marty Pattin
- #199 Mike Fiore
- #218 Eddie Kasko
- #259 Sparky Lyle
- #266 Bobby Bolin
- #290 Sonny Siebert
- #313 Luis Aparicio
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #734 card?
It is card #734 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Burda of the Boston Red Sox.
Why is #734 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the sixth and last print series, #657-787 - with the fifth series, the toughest to find, per PSA.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
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.