1978 Topps #454 Dave LaRoche
About Dave LaRoche
His 1978 card, #454, has LaRoche back in an Angels uniform. That season he pitched entirely in relief, appearing in 59 games and finishing 10-9 with a 2.82 ERA. He saved 25 games and struck out 70 in 95 2/3 innings.
Dave LaRoche was a left-handed reliever who pitched 14 seasons, 1970 through 1983, for the Angels, Twins, Cubs, Indians and Yankees. He finished 65-58 with a 3.53 ERA and 126 saves. He struck out 819 batters in 1,049 1/3 innings and made the American League All-Star team in 1976 and 1977. He threw his own variant of the eephus pitch, which he called the "La Lob." Born David Garcia in Colorado Springs, he took his stepfather's surname at age seven, reportedly because classmates teased him over a bumbling Sergeant Garcia on the Zorro television series. The Angels drafted him in the fifth round in 1967 out of West High School in Torrance, California. With the Yankees he pitched one inning with two strikeouts in the 1981 World Series, which the Dodgers won four games to two. His sons Adam and Andy both reached the majors, and he later coached in the minors, including as pitching coach of the Brooklyn Cyclones and, in 2018, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 178 | 38 | 119 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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
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- #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 #454 card?
It is card #454 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave LaRoche of the California Angels.
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.