1978 Topps #470 J.R. Richard
About J.R. Richard
Richard broke Don Wilson's 1969 club strikeout record of 235 on August 21, and on September 28 he reached 300 by striking out Rowland Office of the Braves, the first National League right-hander to get there. He finished 18-11 with 303 strikeouts and was Pitcher of the Month for July. Card #470 is his standard Astros issue.
J.R. Richard was a 6-foot-8 right-handed starter who pitched his whole career for the Houston Astros, from 1971 to 1980. A Louisiana high school star in baseball and basketball, he turned down more than 200 basketball scholarship offers and went second overall in the 1969 draft. Wildness kept him shuttling between Houston and the minors until 1975, but from 1976 to 1979 he won at least 18 games in each of four seasons and led the National League twice in strikeouts. He struck out 313 in 1979, an Astros record until Gerrit Cole passed it in 2019. He finished 107-71 with a 3.15 ERA and 1,493 strikeouts. Johnny Bench and Dale Murphy both named him the toughest pitcher they faced. He made the 1980 All-Star team, but on July 30 of that year he suffered a stroke from a blood clot in his neck while warming up. A 1981 comeback attempt with the Astros ended because the stroke had slowed his reaction time and weakened his depth perception, and the club released him in 1984. The Astros inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2019.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 250 | 67 | 117 | 46 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #470 card?
It is card #470 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros.
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.