1975 Topps #243 Jim Kaat
About Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat, a 6-foot-4 left-hander out of Zeeland, Michigan, signed with the Washington Senators in 1957 and reached the majors in 1959. He became a mainstay of the franchise's move to Minnesota, anchoring the Twins' rotation through their 1965 pennant run and starting three World Series games against Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, including a complete-game win in Game Two. His signature season came in 1966, when he led the American League with 25 wins and 19 complete games. Traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1973, Kaat went 21-13 in 1974 and, at age 36, won 20 games again in 1975 -- an All-Star, Gold Glove season pictured on his White Sox Topps #243, well past his rookie years. Nicknamed "Kitty," a play on his surname evoking a cat's quickness, he backed it up by fielding his position well enough to win a record 16 consecutive Gold Gloves. Kaat later pitched for the Phillies, Yankees, and Cardinals, winning a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1982 across a 25-year, 283-win career, then spent more than two decades broadcasting Yankees and Twins games. The Golden Days Era Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 583 | 5 | 111 | 300 | 78 | 44 | 32 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 60 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
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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Related cards
Team card: #276 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #11 Bill Melton
- #35 Ron Santo
- #59 Ken Henderson
- #82 Pat Kelly
- #110 Wilbur Wood
- #137 Terry Forster
- #161 Stan Bahnsen
- #184 Jorge Orta
- #197 1959 MVPs
- #210 1972 MVPs
- #219 Ed Herrmann
- #299 Bucky Dent
- #307 1974 Home Run Leaders
- #313 1974 Leading Firemen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #243 card?
It is card #243 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim Kaat.
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.