1978 Topps #708 Rookie Catchers - Bo Diaz / Dale Murphy / Lance Parrish / Ernie Whitt
On this card: Bo Diaz, Dale Murphy, Lance Parrish, Ernie Whitt
About this card
Cards #701-711 are the eleven four-player Rookie Prospects cards. A Rookie Prospects card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #702, #707, #708 and #711 one of the four is not a rookie, so those count for the other three only, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
The story on this card
Boston traded Diaz to Cleveland on March 30, 1978, in the deal that sent Dennis Eckersley to the Red Sox, yet his Topps rookie card still lists him with Boston. He caught 44 games behind Gary Alexander, batted .236 and hit his first major league home run in July. Injuries to his ankles, finger and thumb led Bob Sudyk of The Sporting News to call him 'a walking accident.' The card is #708, a Rookie Prospects issue shared with Dale Murphy, Lance Parrish and Ernie Whitt. Bo Diaz was a Venezuelan catcher nicknamed The Cannon, who played for the Red Sox, Indians, Phillies and Reds from 1977 to 1989. A two-time All-Star, he hit a walk-off grand slam for the 1983 pennant-winning Phillies.
Atlanta shifted Murphy to first base in 1978, and manager Bobby Cox predicted 25 home runs if he got 500 at-bats. He hit 23 with 79 RBI, tied for the team lead in homers. He batted .226 and struck out 145 times, the most in the league. On July 2 he drove in six against the Giants. He appears on Rookie Prospects card #708 with Bo Diaz of the Red Sox, Lance Parrish of the Tigers and Ernie Whitt of the Blue Jays. Atlanta Braves outfielder who won back-to-back NL Most Valuable Player awards in 1982 and 1983, five straight Gold Gloves, and seven All-Star selections. He hit 398 career home runs between 1976 and 1993, and the Braves retired his number 3.
Parrish's rookie card is the four-player Rookie Prospects card #708, shared with Bo Diaz of the Red Sox, Dale Murphy of the Braves and Ernie Whitt of the Blue Jays, and it prints him with Detroit. Manager Ralph Houk had called him a natural in March 1978, yet used a platoon with Milt May, and Parrish hit .219 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs. Catcher for 19 seasons who helped lead the Tigers to the 1984 World Series title. An eight-time All-Star with six Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves, he hit 324 career home runs and set American League single-season records for catchers.
Toronto assigned Whitt to Charleston, a Houston affiliate, in 1977 because the new club had no Triple-A team. He later hit .171 in 23 games for the Blue Jays. His rookie card, 1978 Topps #708, is a Rookie Prospects issue that places Toronto's Whitt alongside Bo Diaz of Boston, Dale Murphy of Atlanta and Lance Parrish of Detroit. Catcher Ernie Whitt's first major-league hit was a home run for Boston on September 21, 1976. His solo shot off Milwaukee's Jim Colborn struck the right-field foul pole in a 3-1 loss.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dale Murphy) · Wikipedia (Lance Parrish) · Wikipedia (Ernie Whitt) · SABR BioProject (Bo Diaz) · SABR BioProject (Dale Murphy) · SABR BioProject (Lance Parrish) · SABR BioProject (Ernie Whitt) · Canada's Baseball Hall of Fame · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 4,363 | 92 | 787 | 1,627 | 714 | 486 | 317 | 338 | 2 |
| SGC | 669 | 0 | 33 | 173 | 193 | 122 | 83 | 63 | 2 |
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 cards: #424 Boston Red Sox Team, #551 Atlanta Braves Team, #404 Detroit Tigers Team, #626 Toronto Blue Jays Team
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #12 Don Aase
- #40 Carl Yastrzemski
- #63 Don Zimmer
- #83 Bob Montgomery
- #105 Reggie Cleveland
- #125 George Scott
More Atlanta Braves cards:
- #10 Phil Niekro
- #38 Willie Montanez
- #75 Dick Ruthven
- #93 Bobby Cox
- #130 Jeff Burroughs
- #156 Andy Messersmith
More Detroit Tigers cards:
More Toronto Blue Jays cards:
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #708 card?
It is card #708 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bo Diaz, Dale Murphy, Lance Parrish and Ernie Whitt. Cards #701-711 are the eleven four-player Rookie Prospects cards. A Rookie Prospects card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #702, #707, #708 and #711 one of the four is not a rookie, so those count for the other three only, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
Is #708 Dale Murphy's rookie card?
No. Dale Murphy's rookie card is 1977 Topps #476; #708 Rookie Catchers is the rookie card of Bo Diaz, Lance Parrish and Ernie Whitt only.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
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.