1976 Topps #539 John Balaz
About John Balaz
Balaz played 45 major league games for the California Angels in 1975. He batted .242 with one home run and ten RBI. His 1976 Topps rookie card, #539, listed the Angels, but he played for the Rhode Island Red Sox that season.
John Balaz was a Toronto-born outfielder who played 59 major league games for the California Angels in 1974 and 1975. He attended Point Loma High School in San Diego and then San Diego City College, and was drafted by the Angels in the fifth round in 1970. In the minors he led three leagues in runs batted in: the Pioneer League in 1971 with 51, the California League in 1973 with 113 and the Texas League in 1974 with 111. His big-league debut came September 10, 1974, when he was announced as a pinch hitter and then replaced by Rudy Meoli before batting. His first home run came off Paul Splittorff on September 24, 1974, in a game in which he drove in four runs. He finished with a .241 average, 2 home runs and 15 RBI. After the Angels traded him to Boston in March 1976, he played in the minors, then in Mexico for Ciudad Juarez, which reached the finals of the 1979 Mexican League playoffs.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 93 | 3 | 37 | 35 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #304 California Angels Team
More California Angels cards:
- #27 Ed Figueroa
- #52 Dave Chalk
- #85 Mickey Rivers
- #108 Don Kirkwood
- #129 Andy Etchebarren
- #152 Leroy Stanton
- #176 Dick Lange
- #198 1975 AL Stolen Base Leaders
- #204 1975 AL Strikeout Leaders
- #207 Andy Hassler
- #229 Jerry Remy
- #254 Rudy Meoli
- #276 Mickey Scott
- #330 Nolan Ryan
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #539 card?
It is card #539 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Balaz of the California Angels.
Is 1976 Topps #539 a rookie card?
Yes - #539 is the 1976 Topps rookie card of John Balaz.
How many cards are in the 1976 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1 through 660 with none skipped and printed in equal quantities as a single series. No card carries a catalogued print variation, so the base set and the master set are the same 660 cards.
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.