1974 Topps #8 George Theodore
About George Theodore
Theodore's first major-league home run, a three-run shot off Montreal's Balor Moore, came on July 4, 1973. Three days later he dislocated his left hip colliding with center fielder Don Hahn on a fly ball hit by Atlanta's Ralph Garr, who scored an inside-the-park home run. Carried off on a stretcher, he returned for one game in September and went 0 for 2 in two World Series games against Oakland. Topps gave him a rookie card, #8 in the 1974 set, as a Met.
George Theodore was a 6-foot-4 outfielder and first baseman nicknamed the Stork who played 105 games for the New York Mets in 1973 and 1974. Minor-league teammate Jim Gosger is credited with the name, though Theodore disputes the story that it came from seeing him hold a teammate's baby. Drafted by the Mets in the 31st round in 1969 out of the University of Utah, he was California League Player of the Year at Visalia in 1971 with 28 home runs and 113 RBIs. He debuted April 14, 1973 as a late-inning defensive replacement for Willie Mays, and Steve Carlton struck him out in his only at-bat. In 1974 he hit .158 in 60 games; his lone home run was the first of three consecutive Mets homers off the Padres' Lowell Palmer, the others by Rusty Staub and Cleon Jones. Known for offbeat interviews, he once said transcendental meditation helped him "be passive and wait on the curve" but that he still had to "find something else to hit the slider." After a final minor-league season he retired, earned a Master of Social Work at Utah in 1978, and spent 38 years as a Granite School District social worker. The South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce named him Educator of the Year in 2016.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 165 | 8 | 42 | 89 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 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: #56 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
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- #132 Felix Millan
- #153 Jon Matlack
- #179 Mets Field Leaders
- #206 1973 Earned Run Average Leaders
- #207 1973 Strikeout Leaders
- #216 Ray Sadecki
- #234 John Milner
- #245 Cleon Jones
- #265 Tug McGraw
- #291 Don Hahn
- #311 Jerry Grote
- #356 Jerry Koosman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #8 card?
It is card #8 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing George Theodore of the New York Mets.
Is 1974 Topps #8 a rookie card?
Yes - #8 is the 1974 Topps rookie card of George Theodore.
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.