1974 Topps #522 J.R. Richard
About J.R. Richard
Richard went 6-2 with a 4.00 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 1973, including his first major league shutout, against the Dodgers. In 1974 he went to Columbus and then Denver, where four starts brought three shutouts and 33 scoreless innings. Recalled July 13, he finished 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA for Houston. His 1974 Astros card is #522.
J.R. Richard was a 6-foot-8 right-handed starter who pitched his whole career for the Houston Astros, from 1971 to 1980. A Louisiana high school star in baseball and basketball, he turned down more than 200 basketball scholarship offers and went second overall in the 1969 draft. Wildness kept him shuttling between Houston and the minors until 1975, but from 1976 to 1979 he won at least 18 games in each of four seasons and led the National League twice in strikeouts. He struck out 313 in 1979, an Astros record until Gerrit Cole passed it in 2019. He finished 107-71 with a 3.15 ERA and 1,493 strikeouts. Johnny Bench and Dale Murphy both named him the toughest pitcher they faced. He made the 1980 All-Star team, but on July 30 of that year he suffered a stroke from a blood clot in his neck while warming up. A 1981 comeback attempt with the Astros ended because the stroke had slowed his reaction time and weakened his depth perception, and the club released him in 1984. The Astros inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2019.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 291 | 0 | 66 | 166 | 32 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1974 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #154 Houston Astros
More Houston Astros cards:
- #21 Bob Gallagher
- #31 Astros Field Leaders
- #43 Jim Wynn
- #67 Tommy Helms
- #91 Ken Forsch
- #177 Dave Roberts
- #200 Cesar Cedeno
- #224 Roger Metzger
- #256 Tom Griffin
- #279 Jim Crawford
- #293 Milt May
- #304 Don Wilson
- #328 Skip Jutze
- #337 All-Star Center Fielders
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #522 card?
It is card #522 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros.
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.