1975 Topps #314 Buck Martinez
About Buck Martinez
Buck Martinez broke in as a hard-nosed catcher for the expansion-era Kansas City Royals, debuting June 18, 1969 after Kansas City landed him from the Houston Astros, who had taken him in the 1968 Rule 5 draft. Born John Albert Martinez, he picked up the nickname "Buck" as a boy, honoring his Native American heritage as an enrolled member of California's Karuk Tribe. This 1975 Topps card, issued during his eighth season behind the plate for Kansas City, catches him mid-career rather than as a rookie; he hit .333 in the 1976 ALCS before a 1977 trade sent him to Milwaukee. Traded again to Toronto in 1981, Martinez twice topped 10 home runs and formed a steady battery with ace Dave Stieb, and famously turned a shattered ankle in a 1985 home-plate collision into a game-ending double play. After his 1986 release, he became a longtime Blue Jays and Orioles broadcaster, managed Toronto in 2001-02, and later led Team USA at the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 335 | 14 | 98 | 181 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #314 card?
It is card #314 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Buck Martinez.
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.