1974 Topps #38 Don Kessinger
About Don Kessinger
Kessinger collected 151 hits for the 1973 Cubs. He drove in 43 runs in 160 games. His 1974 Topps #38 carried him with Chicago. He was the Cubs' lone All-Star in 1974 and tripled in his only at-bat in the National League's 7-2 win. He finished the season with a .259 average, 155 hits and 83 runs scored.
Don Kessinger was a switch-hitting shortstop who signed with the Chicago Cubs out of the University of Mississippi, where he had also been an All-American basketball player, and played for them from 1964 to 1975. Paired for nine straight years with second baseman Glenn Beckert, Kessinger made six All-Star teams and won two Gold Gloves, repeatedly leading National League shortstops in assists and putouts. His trademark play, ranging to his right to spear a grounder and whip it to first while reversing in the air, was named "The Down Pat" by teammate Ferguson Jenkins. After Chicago traded him to St. Louis in 1975, he finished his career with the Chicago White Sox, where in 1979 he became the last player-manager in American League history. He later coached baseball at Ole Miss, his alma mater.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 238 | 4 | 92 | 120 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 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: #211 Chicago Cubs
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- #157 Vic Harris
- #161 Ray Burris
- #185 Jose Cardenal
- #258 Jerry Morales
- #270 Ron Santo
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- #319 Randy Hundley
- #334 All-Star Third Basemen
- #338 All-Star Right Fielders
- #354 Cubs Field Leaders
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #38 card?
It is card #38 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs.
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.