1974 Topps #509 Jesse Jefferson
About Jesse Jefferson
Jefferson told general manager Frank Cashen he would rather be traded than return to Rochester. A deep Orioles staff kept him in the bullpen in 1974: 18 of his 20 appearances were in relief, and both starts came against Boston. His only decision was a win over Luis Tiant at Fenway Park on July 4, leaving him 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA in 57 1/3 innings. Baltimore fell to Oakland in the playoffs for the second straight year with him on the bench. His #509 card carries the Orioles name.
Jesse Jefferson was a right-handed pitcher who worked nine seasons in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels, finishing 39-81 with a 4.81 ERA. Baltimore drafted him in the fourth round in 1968 out of Carver High School in Midlothian, Virginia, and he spent six seasons in the farm system before reaching the majors in 1973. Chicago acquired him for Tony Muser in June 1975, and Toronto took him in the 1976 expansion draft. He pitched for the Blue Jays from their first season, 1977, through 1980, and holds the club record for the most innings in a complete game, 12. His 1-0, 11-inning win over Oakland's Mike Norris on May 16, 1980, has been called the longest shutout duel between African-American pitchers in major league history. Pittsburgh claimed him on waivers in September 1980, and California signed him that winter. He died in Midlothian in 2011.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 207 | 13 | 95 | 83 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #16 Baltimore Orioles
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #40 Jim Palmer
- #68 Grant Jackson
- #92 Paul Blair
- #109 Bob Grich
- #137 Al Bumbry
- #160 Brooks Robinson
- #187 Don Baylor
- #206 1973 Earned Run Average Leaders
- #235 Dave McNally
- #259 Bob Reynolds
- #282 Doyle Alexander
- #306 Orioles Field Leaders
- #329 Mark Belanger
- #334 All-Star Third Basemen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #509 card?
It is card #509 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jesse Jefferson of the Baltimore Orioles.
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.