1975 Topps #621 1975 Rookie Pitchers
One of the eleven four-player rookie cards (#614-624).
About this card
Cards #614-624 are the multi-player Rookie cards, four prospects to a card grouped by position - the run that carries the Rice, Carter, Lynn and Hernandez rookies.
About the players on this card
John Denny
John Allen Denny was born November 8, 1952, in Prescott, Arizona, and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a 29th-round pick in 1970. He worked his way up through St. Petersburg, Modesto, Arkansas and Tulsa, tossing a Double-A no-hitter in 1973 before debuting with the Cardinals in September 1974. His 1975 Topps card catches him as one of four young arms on the "Rookie Pitchers" card, a recognized rookie issue. Denny broke out in 1976, leading the National League in ERA at 2.52 despite an 11-9 record on a run-starved St. Louis club. Traded to Cleveland in 1979 and then to Philadelphia in 1982, he had the finest year of his career with the 1983 "Wheeze Kids" Phillies, going 19-6 with a 2.37 ERA to win the NL Cy Young Award and help Philadelphia to the pennant; he won Game 1 of that year's World Series against Baltimore. Injuries shortened his later seasons with the Phillies and Reds. He retired in 1986 with a 123-108 record, 3.59 ERA and 1,146 strikeouts, and later served as a rehabilitation pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Rawly Eastwick
A hard-throwing right-hander, Rawly Eastwick was Cincinnati's third-round pick in the 1969 draft out of Haddonfield Memorial High School in New Jersey. He broke in with the Reds in September 1974 and blossomed the next year as a rookie fireman, tying for the NL saves lead with 22 and starring in the 1975 World Series — winning Games 2 and 3 and saving Game 5 as the Reds beat Boston in seven games. Eastwick shares his rookie season on 1975 Topps #621, a four-man Rookie Pitchers card with John Denny, Jim Kern, and Juan Veintidós. In 1976 he was even better, going 11-5 with a 2.06 ERA, again leading the league in saves, winning the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award, and closing out a second straight championship as Cincinnati swept the Yankees. Traded to St. Louis in 1977, he later pitched for the Yankees, Phillies, Royals, and Cubs before retiring in 1981 with 68 career saves.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Jim Kern
Jim Kern signed with the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent out of Midland, Michigan, in 1967, missed 1969 in the Marine Corps, then worked through several wild minor-league seasons before debuting for Cleveland on September 6, 1974. He appears on his 1975 Topps Rookie Pitchers card, #621, alongside John Denny, Rawly Eastwick, and Juan Veintidos, his recognized rookie card. Installed as Cleveland's full-time reliever in 1976, the 6-foot-5 right-hander earned three straight All-Star selections from 1977 through 1979 and picked up the nickname "Emu" that year, coined by teammates Fritz Peterson and Pat Dobson for his gangly resemblance to the flightless bird; Kern embraced it, billing himself "The Amazing Emu" and letting out bird calls in the clubhouse. Traded to Texas in October 1978, he turned in one of the greatest relief seasons on record in 1979: 13-5, a 1.57 ERA, and 29 saves, winning the AL Rolaids Relief Man Award and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting; no reliever since has matched his combined win and save total. He later pitched for Cincinnati, the White Sox, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee before closing his career back in Cleveland in 1986, finishing 53-57 with 88 saves and a 3.32 ERA.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Juan Veintidos
Juan Rafael Veintidos was born October 14, 1949, in Cayey, Puerto Rico. He signed with the New York Mets in 1967 and worked through their lower minors - losing 1969 to military service - before being released after a rough 1973 in the low minors. Twins Triple-A manager Cal Ermer, who had scouted him in Puerto Rican winter ball, brought him into Minnesota's system. On Opening Day 1974, Veintidos threw a two-hit, eight-strikeout shutout for the Double-A Orlando Twins, then broke out after a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma, going 12-4 with a Pacific Coast League All-Star selection and the league ERA title at 3.67. Minnesota added him to its parent roster that October, but the call never came. Control problems eroded his numbers before the Twins released him in 1977, and he closed out his career in the Mexican League through 1980 without ever appearing in a major league game. That absence makes his 1975 Topps Rookie Pitchers card - shared with John Denny, Rawly Eastwick, and Jim Kern, whose combined 1,067 major league games dwarf his zero - a recognized rookie card and a favorite among "phantom ballplayer" collectors.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 466 | 16 | 137 | 232 | 46 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #246 St. Louis Cardinals
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #2 Lou Brock
- #3 Bob Gibson
- #27 Ken Reitz
- #51 Bob Forsch
- #75 Ted Simmons
- #98 Rich Folkers
- #122 Al Hrabosky
- #150 Bob Gibson
- #174 Bake McBride
- #231 Mike Tyson
- #272 Lynn McGlothen
- #289 Ken Rudolph
- #296 Alan Foster
- #328 Sonny Siebert
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #621 card?
It is card #621 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Denny, Rawly Eastwick, Jim Kern, Juan Veintidos. Cards #614-624 are the multi-player Rookie cards, four prospects to a card grouped by position - the run that carries the Rice, Carter, Lynn and Hernandez rookies.
Is 1975 Topps #621 a rookie card?
Yes - #621 is a rookie card. Topps grouped four prospects on each card in the 1975 Rookies run, so the rookie designation covers every player pictured: John Denny, Rawly Eastwick, Jim Kern, Juan Veintidos.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-10-05.