1974 Topps #638 Ken Sanders
About Ken Sanders
Sanders opened 1973 in Minnesota, where his teammates elected him player representative. He had eight saves by the end of May despite a 5.60 ERA, then lost the closer's job to Ray Corbin. On July 29 he was 2-4 and had not saved a game since June 2. He finished 7-5 with a 4.40 ERA and 13 saves between the Twins and Indians. Cleveland released him on June 17, 1974, and he finished that year with the Angels. Card #638 is printed with Cleveland.
Ken Sanders was a right-handed relief pitcher who spent parts of ten major league seasons, from 1964 to 1976. He pitched for eight clubs: the Athletics in Kansas City and Oakland, the Red Sox, Brewers, Twins, Indians, Angels, Mets and Royals. A St. Louis native, he signed with Kansas City in 1960 after a month at St. Louis University, and he started and relieved in the minors until he became a full-time reliever in 1964. With the Milwaukee Brewers he led all of Major League Baseball in 1971 with 83 appearances, 77 games finished and 31 saves, earning The Sporting News American League Fireman of the Year award. Brewers manager Dave Bristol nicknamed him "Bulldog" for his mound demeanor. Sanders finished his career with a 29-45 record, a 2.97 ERA and 86 saves, and later worked in real estate.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 213 | 7 | 96 | 95 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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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Team card: #541 Cleveland Indians
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #638 card?
It is card #638 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ken Sanders of the Cleveland Indians.
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.