1978 Topps #234 Herman Franks
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 Herman Franks
Franks was named Cubs manager on November 24, 1976, when new general manager Bob Kennedy chose him to replace Jim Marshall. In 1977 he led Chicago back to the .500 level, finishing 81-81 in fourth place. His manager card is #234 in the 1978 Topps set.
Herman Franks broke into the majors as a backup catcher with the 1939 St. Louis Cardinals, then spent parts of two seasons with Brooklyn as Leo Durocher's second-string catcher, catching Tex Carleton's no-hitter in 1940. He missed three and a half seasons serving as a Navy lieutenant (junior grade) in the Pacific during World War II. After a brief return with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947-48, he finished his playing days with one game for the 1949 New York Giants under Durocher, for whom he then coached through 1955, including the 1954 World Series champions. Franks worked as a Giants scout and as general manager of the Pacific Coast League's Salt Lake City Bees before returning to San Francisco as a coach, then succeeding Alvin Dark as manager after the 1964 season. He later managed the Chicago Cubs and served as their interim general manager. A left-handed hitter who threw right-handed, he closed his six-season playing career with a .199 average in 188 games.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 142 | 15 | 78 | 36 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #302 Chicago Cubs Team
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #17 Mike Krukow
- #50 Rick Reuschel
- #76 Steve Ontiveros
- #99 Willie Hernandez
- #123 Manny Trillo
- #152 Ivan DeJesus
- #175 Jerry Morales
- #252 Steve Swisher
- #325 Bruce Sutter
- #346 Larry Biittner
- #371 Ray Burris
- #397 Greg Gross
- #423 Dave Rosello
- #473 Bill Buckner
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #234 card?
It is card #234 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Herman Franks of the Chicago Cubs. 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.
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.