1973 Topps #59 Steve Yeager
About Steve Yeager
Yeager reached the majors in August 1972, when Dick Dietz broke his hand, and started 1-for-22 before Walt Alston suggested a more open batting stance. He hit .375 over his final 72 at-bats to finish at .274. In 1973 Alston preferred the more powerful Joe Ferguson, who hit 25 home runs, and Yeager played 54 games in a reserve role. Topps gave him his rookie card, #59, in the first series of the 1973 set.
Steve Yeager caught for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1972 through 1985 and finished his career with the Seattle Mariners in 1986. Lou Brock called him "the best-throwing catcher in the game," and a radar gun once clocked a throw of his to second base from a crouch at 98 mph. He was valued even more for his handling of young pitchers. Over his career he hit .228 with 102 home runs.
He played in four World Series for the Dodgers, in 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1981. In 1981 he shared the Series MVP award with Pedro Guerrero and Ron Cey. He went 4-for-14 with a double and two home runs, and one of the homers, off Ron Guidry, won Game 5. He also caught Jerry Reuss's no-hitter on June 27, 1980.
The Dodgers drafted him in the fourth round in 1967 out of Meadowdale High School in Dayton, Ohio. He later coached in the Dodgers' farm system and was the major-league club's catching coach from 2012 to 2018, and he played Coach Duke Temple in the Major League films.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 279 | 10 | 91 | 126 | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #59 card?
It is card #59 of the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set, picturing Steve Yeager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Is 1973 Topps #59 a rookie card?
Yes - #59 is the 1973 Topps rookie card of Steve Yeager.
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.