1974 Topps #255 Larry Bowa
About Larry Bowa
With Dave Cash at second base, Bowa played all 162 games in 1974 and batted .275 with 184 hits. He stole 39 bases, and his .984 fielding percentage led National League shortstops. He made his first All-Star team alongside Cash and Mike Schmidt. On April 30, he hit his first home run over the fence, off Mike Caldwell at Candlestick Park. His 1974 Topps card, #255, listed him with Philadelphia.
Larry Bowa was a switch-hitting shortstop who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and four for the Chicago Cubs, finishing in 1985 with a month on the New York Mets. He won two Gold Gloves, led the National League in fielding percentage six times, and retired with the league record for career games at shortstop, 2,222. His .991 fielding average in 1979 was a major league record for shortstops when he set it. A five-time All-Star, he hit .305 in 1975 and was in the Phillies lineup for each of their five postseason trips from 1976 to 1981, hitting .375 in the 1980 World Series that gave the franchise its first title. He finished with 2,191 hits and 318 stolen bases. The Phillies signed him for $2,000 in 1965 after scout Eddie Bockman watched him get ejected from both games of a doubleheader. He later managed the San Diego Padres and the Phillies, and was named NL Manager of the Year in 2001.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2) · Retrosheet · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 230 | 3 | 56 | 128 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 5 | 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: #383 Philadelphia Phillies
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- #23 Craig Robinson
- #47 Dick Ruthven
- #69 Del Unser
- #95 Steve Carlton
- #119 Phillies Field Leaders
- #131 Bob Boone
- #149 Mac Scarce
- #174 Bill Robinson
- #198 Dave Cash
- #214 Billy Grabarkewitz
- #283 Mike Schmidt
- #313 Barry Lersch
- #342 Jim Lonborg
- #360 Greg Luzinski
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #255 card?
It is card #255 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Larry Bowa of the Philadelphia Phillies.
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.