1974 Topps #252 Dave Parker
About Dave Parker
Gene Clines tore ligaments in his right ankle on July 10, 1973, and the Pirates sent for Parker, who was leading the Triple-A International League at .317 for Charleston. He debuted two days later as the right fielder and leadoff hitter, hit .354 in September and finished at .288 over 54 games. All 31 of his starts came against right-handed pitching. Card #252 is his rookie card, ranked among the set's key rookies with Ken Griffey Sr., Bucky Dent, Frank Tanana and Dave Winfield.
Dave Parker was a 6-foot-5 left-handed-hitting right fielder who played 19 major league seasons, 1973 to 1991, and spent his prime in Pittsburgh as Roberto Clemente's successor in right field. He won National League batting titles in 1977 and 1978, was the 1978 Most Valuable Player, took three straight Gold Gloves from 1977 to 1979 and made seven All-Star teams. He grew up in Cincinnati near Crosley Field, and the Pirates drafted him in the 14th round in 1970. After the 1983 season he signed with his hometown Reds as a free agent, led the league with 125 RBIs in 1985, finished second to Willie McGee in that year's MVP voting and won the first Home Run Derby at the 1985 All-Star Game. Cincinnati traded him to Oakland for Jose Rijo and Tim Birtsas in December 1987, and he won World Series rings with the 1979 Pirates and the 1989 Athletics before finishing with Milwaukee, California and Toronto. He retired with 2,712 hits, 339 home runs and a .290 average. He testified at the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials and drew a suspension that was later commuted. The Classic Baseball Era Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in December 2024 with 87.5 percent of the vote. He died on June 28, 2025, before the July induction ceremony.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 4,300 | 8 | 256 | 1,319 | 954 | 684 | 466 | 612 | 1 |
| SGC | 1,392 | 0 | 25 | 181 | 376 | 354 | 229 | 212 | 15 |
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: #626 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #28 Manny Sanguillen
- #52 Al Oliver
- #82 Dave Giusti
- #100 Willie Stargell
- #116 Jerry Reuss
- #123 Nelson Briles
- #145 Dock Ellis
- #172 Gene Clines
- #202 1973 Home Run Leaders
- #203 1973 Runs Batted In Leaders
- #222 Ramon Hernandez
- #237 Ken Brett
- #269 Bob Johnson
- #317 Richie Zisk
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #252 card?
It is card #252 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is 1974 Topps #252 a rookie card?
Yes - #252 is the 1974 Topps rookie card of Dave Parker.
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.