1975 Topps #553 John Boccabella
About John Boccabella
John Boccabella grew up in San Anselmo, California, the son of Italian immigrants, and starred at Santa Clara before signing with the Chicago Cubs in 1963. A power-hitting first baseman, he reached the majors that September; manager Leo Durocher began converting him to catcher in 1966, but Boccabella briefly held the first-base job over Ernie Banks in 1967. Drafted by the expansion Montreal Expos in 1968, "Boc" spent five seasons behind the plate at Jarry Park, where PA announcer Claude Mouton's rolled-out introduction of his name became a fan favorite. He became Montreal's primary catcher in 1973, setting career highs with 118 games, seven homers and 46 RBIs, and belted two home runs -- one a grand slam -- in a single sixth inning that July 6. Traded to his hometown Giants the following March for pitcher Don Carrithers, Boccabella closed out his twelve-year, .219 career in San Francisco in 1974, the season pictured on his final Topps card, #553 in the 1975 set. He threw out 41 percent of basestealers.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 240 | 4 | 53 | 128 | 35 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Related cards
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #553 card?
It is card #553 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Boccabella.
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 2026-08-20.