1976 Topps #633 John Stearns
About John Stearns
Stearns hit .262 in 32 games for the 1976 Mets, a season split by a demotion. Ron Hodges took over as Jerry Grote's backup, and Stearns asked for the minors, where he caught 102 games for Tidewater and hit .310 with 10 home runs. The Mets recalled him in September. His Topps #633 is a recognised rookie card.
John Stearns was a catcher who spent ten years with the New York Mets after a single game for the Phillies in 1974. A shortstop in high school and a safety and punter at Colorado, he was the second overall pick of the 1973 draft, taken behind David Clyde, and the Phillies traded him to the Mets in December 1974. He took over as the regular catcher in 1977 and made four All-Star teams, in 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1982, as the Mets lost close to 100 games a year. Stearns played hard, and he was involved in several brawls and tackles on and off the field. His teammates and opponents knew him as Bad Dude, a name he picked up while talking to a reporter in 1970. An elbow injury in 1982 ended his effectiveness, and he played only a handful of games over his last two seasons. He later coached for the Yankees, Reds, Orioles and Mets, and was the voice behind the 2000 NLCS cry that the monster was out of the cage when Mike Piazza doubled. He died in 2022 at age 71.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 250 | 46 | 133 | 59 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1976 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #531 New York Mets Team
More New York Mets cards:
- #5 Tom Seaver
- #16 Bob Apodaca
- #40 Dave Kingman
- #64 Jerry Koosman
- #93 Mike Phillips
- #120 Rusty Staub
- #143 Jerry Grote
- #166 Skip Lockwood
- #190 Jon Matlack
- #193 1975 NL Home Run Leaders
- #199 1975 NL Victory Leaders
- #201 1975 NL ERA Leaders
- #203 1975 NL Strikeout Leaders
- #222 Wayne Garrett
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #633 card?
It is card #633 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Stearns of the New York Mets.
Is 1976 Topps #633 a rookie card?
Yes - #633 is the 1976 Topps rookie card of John Stearns.
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.