1976 Topps #97 Wilbur Howard
About Wilbur Howard
Howard's at bats fell from 392 in 1975 to 191, and Houston used him in 94 games. He hit .220 with one home run and 18 RBI. He stole seven bases and played 63 games in the outfield and two at second base. His #97 card pictures him with the Astros.
Wilbur Howard was a switch-hitting outfielder who played six major league seasons, one with Milwaukee and five with the Houston Astros. The Seattle Pilots drafted him in the 19th round in 1969, and the franchise moved to Milwaukee before he reached the majors. He batted .205 in 39 at bats as a September 1973 call-up. The next spring the Brewers sent him to Houston for Larry Yount and another minor leaguer. In 1975 he played 121 games as the Astros' fourth outfielder and hit .283. His 32 stolen bases were eighth in the National League and second on the team to Cesar Cedeno's 50. From 1976 manager Bill Virdon kept him in a more traditional reserve role for three seasons. His last major league game came on September 30, 1978. He finished with a .250 average, six home runs and 60 stolen bases in 466 games. Howard died in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 138 | 11 | 66 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 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: #147 Houston Astros Team
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- #357 Ken Forsch
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #97 card?
It is card #97 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing Wilbur Howard of the Houston Astros.
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.