1974 Topps #448 Ron Hodges
About Ron Hodges
Hodges debuted on June 13, 1973, catching Tom Seaver's complete game in a 3-1 Mets win over the Giants. On September 20, in the 13th inning against the Pirates, he tagged out Richie Zisk at the plate on the 'Ball on the Wall' play and then singled home the winning run. He hit .260 in 45 games and walked in his only World Series plate appearance. His rookie card, #448, came in the 1974 Topps set.
Ron Hodges was a left-handed-hitting catcher who spent all 12 of his major-league seasons, 1973 to 1984, with the New York Mets, nearly all of them as a backup. He was drafted by the Orioles, the Royals and the Braves without signing, then joined the Mets through the 1972 secondary draft, and was brought up to New York when injuries hit the club's catchers. He played behind Jerry Grote and John Stearns through seven Mets managers, and named Yogi Berra and George Bamberger as his favorites. He reached 100 games in a season once, playing 110 in 1983 when injuries to Stearns made him the regular. On Opening Day 1983 he caught Tom Seaver's return to the Mets, at Seaver's request. A career .240 hitter with 19 home runs, he had a .342 on-base percentage. During winters he substitute-taught physical education at a middle school. A native of Rocky Mount, Virginia, who played college ball at Appalachian State, he sold real estate in Rocky Mount for 30 years after retiring and died in November 2023.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 250 | 15 | 122 | 99 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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: #56 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #8 George Theodore
- #80 Tom Seaver
- #106 Harry Parker
- #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
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #448 card?
It is card #448 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ron Hodges of the New York Mets.
Is 1974 Topps #448 a rookie card?
Yes - #448 is the 1974 Topps rookie card of Ron Hodges.
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.