1978 Topps #550 John Mayberry
About John Mayberry
Mayberry hit for the cycle against the White Sox on August 5, 1977, and finished the year with 23 home runs, tied for the Royals lead with Al Cowens. In the ALCS, manager Whitey Herzog benched him during Game 4 after a late night out, and the Royals sold him to Toronto before the 1978 season. Card #550 still pictures him with the Royals.
John Mayberry was a left-handed power-hitting first baseman who played 15 seasons for Houston, Kansas City, Toronto and the New York Yankees, hitting 255 home runs. The Astros took him sixth overall in the 1967 draft out of Detroit's Northwestern High School, where he also starred in basketball. Houston tried to turn him into a contact hitter, but in Kansas City he became a regular, with two All-Star selections and two Sporting News All-Star first-base honors. He fielded .994 at first base, and when he retired he held the Blue Jays' single-season home run record. He finished second in the 1975 MVP voting. He ended his career with the Yankees in 1982. The Royals inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1996, and his son John Jr. later played in the majors.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 97 | 13 | 62 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #724 Kansas City Royals Team
More Kansas City Royals cards:
- #19 Darrell Porter
- #46 Al Cowens
- #73 Andy Hassler
- #100 George Brett
- #129 Jim Colborn
- #157 Pete LaCock
- #183 Doug Bird
- #204 1977 Stolen Base Leaders
- #205 1977 Victory Leaders
- #218 Marty Pattin
- #248 Frank White
- #274 Freddie Patek
- #299 Whitey Herzog
- #331 Mark Littell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #550 card?
It is card #550 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Mayberry of the Kansas City Royals.
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.