1974 Topps #186 Fred Scherman
About Fred Scherman
His 1974 Topps card, #186, still pictures Scherman with the Tigers, but he spent the season in Houston, where he went 2-5 with a 4.11 ERA and four saves. He pitched much of that year on two ruptured discs, which testing in late September revealed. He blamed the hard surface of the Astrodome for aggravating his back and had surgery in the off-season.
Fred Scherman was a left-handed reliever from Dayton, Ohio, who pitched in the majors from 1969 to 1976 for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos, going 33-26 with a 3.66 ERA and 39 saves. He signed with the Minnesota Twins in December 1963, was drafted by Detroit in December 1964 on the recommendation of Lakeland manager Al Federoff, and spent four seasons in the Tigers' farm system before reaching Detroit. His best year came in 1971, when he set a Tigers record with 69 appearances and saved 20 games under Billy Martin. He relied on a sinking fastball and said location mattered more than velocity. John Hiller's record 38-save season in 1973 pushed him out of the closer's role. Detroit traded him to Houston for Gary Sutherland and Jim Ray that December. He finished his career with Montreal. After his release in July 1976 he pitched in the Pirates system in 1977 and in Japan's Hiroshima Carp organization in 1978.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 218 | 7 | 97 | 98 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 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: #94 Detroit Tigers
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- #24 John Hiller
- #48 Dick Sharon
- #72 Aurelio Rodriguez
- #115 Willie Horton
- #138 Ed Brinkman
- #162 Bill Freehan
- #208 1973 Leading Firemen
- #215 Al Kaline
- #240 Joe Coleman
- #266 Jim Northrup
- #292 Chuck Seelbach
- #316 Jim Perry
- #367 Norm Cash
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #186 card?
It is card #186 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Fred Scherman of the Detroit Tigers.
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.