1978 Topps #723 Johnny Wockenfuss
About Johnny Wockenfuss
Wockenfuss came to the 1977 season with a stance he had found in Puerto Rican winter ball: feet close together on the back line of the batter's box, bat held above his head, fingers waggling. He hit .274 with nine home runs in 164 at-bats and had his first two-homer game on July 4 in front of family and friends. Ferguson Jenkins called the stance "out of the caveman days." Card #723 is his 1978 Topps issue, printed with the Tigers.
Johnny Wockenfuss was a catcher, first baseman, outfielder and designated hitter who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1974 to 1983 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1984 and 1985. He attended John Dickinson High School in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Washington Senators drafted him in the 42nd round in 1967. A pitcher in high school, he was converted to outfielder and then, in 1972, to catcher. Traded to the Cardinals in June 1973 and to the Tigers that December, he was called up when catcher Jerry Moses fractured a finger and made his debut on August 11, 1974. His first major league home run, a second-deck shot off Frank Tanana on June 11, 1975, came in a doubleheader in which he caught all 17 innings. In 1980 he hit 16 home runs with 65 RBI and a career-high .390 on-base percentage. The Tigers sent him and Glenn Wilson to the Phillies for Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman on March 24, 1984. He later managed in the minors and for the independent Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs, and entered the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 110 | 19 | 62 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 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 #723 card?
It is card #723 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Johnny Wockenfuss of the Detroit Tigers.
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.