1974 Topps #527 Bobby Darwin
About Bobby Darwin
Darwin's 1973 numbers were close to his 1972 totals: .252 with 18 home runs and 90 RBI for the Twins. On June 29 he hit the second grand slam of his major-league career in a 4-0 win over Nolan Ryan. His 1974 Topps card is #527, with Minnesota. That season he hit 25 home runs, including a drive into the second deck at Metropolitan Stadium on May 26 that was estimated at 515 feet.
Bobby Darwin broke in with the Los Angeles Angels in 1962 as a 19-year-old right-hander, then spent most of the next decade grinding through the minors as a pitcher whose control problems and a chronically sore arm stalled his progress. A tow-truck-driver encounter with Dodgers executive Al Campanis led to a Rule 5 pickup, and a Spokane manager, Tom Lasorda, talked him into giving up pitching for the outfield. The switch paid off: Darwin became a regular slugger with the Minnesota Twins from 1972 to 1974, hitting 65 home runs and driving in 264 runs over that stretch while also leading the American League in strikeouts each of those three seasons. He closed his playing career in brief stints with the Brewers, Red Sox and Cubs, then spent decades as a Dodgers scout.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 168 | 2 | 38 | 108 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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: #74 Minnesota Twins
More Minnesota Twins cards:
- #26 Bill Campbell
- #50 Rod Carew
- #98 Bert Blyleven
- #122 Jim Holt
- #143 Dick Woodson
- #168 Danny Thompson
- #190 Tony Oliva
- #201 1973 Batting Leaders
- #232 Steve Brye
- #249 George Mitterwald
- #271 Bill Hands
- #296 Ray Corbin
- #321 Steve Braun
- #333 All-Star Second Basemen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #527 card?
It is card #527 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bobby Darwin of the Minnesota Twins.
How many cards are in the 1974 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 678 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, issued all at once as a single series and printed in equal quantities; 17 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fourteen San Diego / "Washington Nat'l Lea." pairs (thirteen Padres player cards and the #226 team card), the three-state #599 Rookie Pitchers, the #608 Apodaco misspelling and the #654 Jesus Alou front without a position.
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.