1978 Topps #604 Earl Williams
About Earl Williams
Oakland placed Williams on waivers at the end of spring training in 1978, no club claimed him, and the A's released him on May 17, at age 29. Card #604 lists him with the Athletics, the club that signed him in 1977.
Earl Williams was a right-handed power hitter who won the 1971 National League Rookie of the Year award as a catcher. The Milwaukee Braves made him the sixth overall pick in the August phase of the 1965 draft out of Montclair High School in New Jersey, where he had been a pitcher, and he gave up a scholarship to Ithaca College to sign. After one season on the mound in 1966 he moved to first base and the outfield, and Atlanta began converting him to catcher before 1970. He hit more than 25 home runs in each of his first two full seasons, then went to Baltimore after 1972 in a blockbuster that sent Davey Johnson, Pat Dobson, Johnny Oates and Roric Harrison to the Braves. Two years with the Orioles were followed by a trade back to Atlanta for pitcher Jimmy Freeman, a June 1976 sale to Montreal, and a final season with Oakland in 1977. Williams died in 2013 at age 64.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 123 | 18 | 74 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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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Team card: #577 Oakland Athletics Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #604 card?
It is card #604 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Earl Williams of the Oakland Athletics.
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.