1978 Topps #233 Dick Pole
About Dick Pole
The 1978 season was his last in the majors. Pole went 4-11 with a 6.48 ERA in 21 games for Seattle, and his final appearance came on July 18. He finished the year with the San Jose Missions of the Pacific Coast League at 0-4, and the Mariners released him on March 24, 1979. His #233 card pictures him with the Mariners.
Dick Pole was a right-handed pitcher from Michigan's Upper Peninsula who worked in the majors for six seasons, 1973 to 1978, with the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners. He signed with Boston in 1969, and in 1973 he led the International League with a 2.03 ERA for Pawtucket, threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Peninsula, and was named the league's Most Valuable Pitcher before his August 3 debut. A line drive off the face from Tony Muser on June 30, 1975, broke his cheekbone and damaged the retina of his right eye, and he came back to throw to two batters in Game 5 of that year's World Series. Seattle took him seventh in the 1976 expansion draft. He finished at 25-37 with a 5.05 ERA in 122 games, then pitched in Mexico. As a coach he was the Cubs' pitching coach from 1988 to 1991, and Greg Maddux credited him with teaching him how to throw pitches. He later held the same post for Cleveland, Montreal and Cincinnati.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 123 | 17 | 75 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #233 card?
It is card #233 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dick Pole of the Seattle Mariners.
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.