1974 Topps #355 Dave Nelson
About Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson moved back to second base for Whitey Herzog in 1973 and hit 7 home runs with 48 RBIs for the Rangers. He homered twice off Eddie Fisher on April 17, the first Rangers player to hit two homers in a game, and called his selection to the All-Star Game in Kansas City his greatest baseball thrill. His 1974 Topps card is #355, with the Rangers.
David Earl Nelson was born June 20, 1944, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and starred in football, baseball, basketball and track at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California, before playing at Compton Junior College and Los Angeles State College. Signed by Cleveland Indians scout Bob Mattick, he climbed the minor-league ladder as a prolific base stealer and reached the majors with Cleveland in 1968, earning a spot on the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team at second base. He played for the Washington Senators in 1970 and 1971, then moved with the franchise to Texas as it became the Rangers, shifting to third base and then back to second. His best year came in 1973, when he hit .286, stole 43 bases and made his only All-Star Game appearance. He spent the 1976-77 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, reaching the postseason in the 1976 ALCS. Nelson later coached and broadcast in the majors for decades, including as Milwaukee Brewers first base coach, before his death in 2018.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 119 | 0 | 36 | 58 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 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 1974 Topps #355 card?
It is card #355 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Nelson of the Texas Rangers.
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.