1978 Topps #697 Roger Metzger
About Roger Metzger
Houston is the team on #697, yet the 1978 season ended with Metzger in San Francisco, where he joined the Giants and finished the year with a combined .246 average over 120 games. He drove in 23 runs and stole eight bases, and he covered shortstop in 116 of those games.
Roger Metzger was a switch-hitting shortstop who held down the position for the Houston Astros through most of the 1970s, known for his strong defense and good running speed. The Chicago Cubs took him 16th overall in the 1969 draft out of St. Edward's University, and he debuted with them in 1970. Houston had him from 1971 into 1978, when he moved to the San Francisco Giants. He won the 1973 Gold Glove at shortstop, the first by an Astro at the position, and no Astros shortstop won another for 48 years. In 11 seasons he played 1,219 games and hit .231. He had five home runs and 83 stolen bases. On November 29, 1979, a table saw took the tips of four fingers on his right hand. He tried a comeback with the Giants, hit .074 in 28 games, and was released on August 10, 1980, then re-signed as a coach for the rest of that season.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 191 | 27 | 127 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #112 Houston Astros Team
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- #181 Ken Forsch
- #226 Joe Ferguson
- #263 Danny Walton
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #697 card?
It is card #697 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Roger Metzger 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.