1978 Topps #334 John Stearns
About John Stearns
In 1978 Stearns set career highs with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs after a .197 April. He stole 25 bases, a National League record for catchers. On June 30 he held the ball and made the final out when Dave Parker tried to run him over at the plate, and Parker broke his cheekbone. His Topps #334 shows him as a Met.
John Stearns was a catcher who spent ten years with the New York Mets after a single game for the Phillies in 1974. A shortstop in high school and a safety and punter at Colorado, he was the second overall pick of the 1973 draft, taken behind David Clyde, and the Phillies traded him to the Mets in December 1974. He took over as the regular catcher in 1977 and made four All-Star teams, in 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1982, as the Mets lost close to 100 games a year. Stearns played hard, and he was involved in several brawls and tackles on and off the field. His teammates and opponents knew him as Bad Dude, a name he picked up while talking to a reporter in 1970. An elbow injury in 1982 ended his effectiveness, and he played only a handful of games over his last two seasons. He later coached for the Yankees, Reds, Orioles and Mets, and was the voice behind the 2000 NLCS cry that the monster was out of the cage when Mike Piazza doubled. He died in 2022 at age 71.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 92 | 19 | 51 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #334 card?
It is card #334 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Stearns of the New York Mets.
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.