1973 Topps #538 Jim Hart
About Jim Hart
After 1,001 games as a Giant, Hart became one of the early beneficiaries of the American League's designated hitter rule when he went to the Yankees in 1973. On May 23 he and Ron Blomberg were both batting .368 as the leading designated hitters. His recurring knee trouble ended that start, and he finished with 13 home runs and 52 RBI in 114 games for New York. Card #538, a high number from the fifth series, lists him with the Giants.
Jim Ray Hart was a power-hitting third baseman for the San Francisco Giants and, briefly, the New York Yankees across a 12-season career from 1963 to 1974. Signed by the Giants for $1,000 in 1960, he suffered a broken shoulder blade and a concussion from being hit by pitches in 1963, his debut season, before becoming a full-time regular in 1964. From 1964 through 1968 he averaged 27 home runs a season and drove in at least 78 runs five straight years, making one All-Star team. Bill James later ranked him 74th among all-time third basemen, noting that his bat far outpaced his defense. Injuries, weight problems and alcoholism cut into his playing time in his final Giants seasons before his rights were sold to the Yankees in 1973. He finished his career .278 with 170 home runs and 578 RBI, then played in the Mexican League before retiring in 1976.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 221 | 4 | 62 | 131 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1973 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #434 San Francisco Giants
More San Francisco Giants cards:
- #23 Dave Kingman
- #43 Randy Moffitt
- #79 Jim Willoughby
- #101 Ken Henderson
- #121 Dave Rader
- #145 Bobby Bonds
- #167 Steve Stone
- #197 Ed Goodson
- #236 Tito Fuentes
- #248 Jerry Johnson
- #252 Giants Field Leaders
- #273 Chris Speier
- #298 Ron Bryant
- #322 Garry Maddox
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #538 card?
It is card #538 of the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim Hart of the San Francisco Giants.
Why is #538 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the fifth and last print series, #529-660 - the scarce end of the set.
How many cards are in the 1973 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 679 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, in five series of 132 - #1-132, #133-264, #265-396, #397-528 and the high numbers, #529-660, printed in lower quantities; 19 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fifteen Field Leaders cards, the #20 Stan Bahnsen, #31 Buddy Bell and #504 Earl Williams border-gap pairs and the two #280 Al Kaline printings.
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.