1978 Topps #656 Dave Garcia
About this card
This is one of the 25 manager cards. Team cards and manager cards are separate cards this year: every club has a team card, and every club except the Milwaukee Brewers has a manager card - George Bamberger was hired in late January 1978, too late to be included.
About Dave Garcia
Garcia had taken over the California Angels from the fired Norm Sherry on July 11, 1977, and the club went 35-46 under him. Early in 1978 the Angels were 25-20 when he was let go on June 1 in favor of Jim Fregosi. His manager card, #656, carries the California Angels.
Dave Garcia entered the game in 1939 and spent more than 65 years in professional baseball. An infielder from East St. Louis, Illinois, the son of Spanish immigrants, he played in the minors for almost 20 seasons, much of that time in the New York Giants system, with three years out for Army Air Forces service in World War II. As player-manager of the 1951 Oshkosh Giants of the Class D Wisconsin State League he won the triple crown, hitting .369 with 23 home runs and 127 RBI. He began managing at 27 and won 889 minor league games, losing 796, with three championships. He reached the majors in 1970 as a coach and later managed the Angels (1977-78) and the Indians (1979-82), a career major league record of 310-311 that includes three games as acting Cleveland manager in 1975. He coached the Brewers in 1983 and 1984 and the Rockies from 2000 to 2002, hired at 79 by Buddy Bell. He was one of four people, with Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda and Don Zimmer, to play, coach or announce in professional baseball across eight decades. He died in San Diego in 2018 at 97.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 127 | 14 | 74 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 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: #214 California Angels Team
More California Angels cards:
- #6 Nolan Ryan
- #18 Bob Grich
- #48 Don Baylor
- #71 Terry Humphrey
- #115 Gary Nolan
- #150 Bobby Bonds
- #178 Dave Chalk
- #206 1977 Strikeout Leaders
- #207 1977 ERA Leaders
- #239 Dyar Miller
- #268 Gil Flores
- #291 Gary Ross
- #313 Andy Etchebarren
- #339 Mario Guerrero
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #656 card?
It is card #656 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Garcia of the California Angels. This is one of the 25 manager cards. Team cards and manager cards are separate cards this year: every club has a team card, and every club except the Milwaukee Brewers has a manager card - George Bamberger was hired in late January 1978, too late to be included.
Is 1978 Topps #656 a rookie card?
Yes - #656 is a rookie card.
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.