1978 Topps #450 Tom Seaver
About Tom Seaver
Seaver finished 1977 at 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and seven shutouts. He went 14-3 after joining Cincinnati. In his first return to Shea Stadium, he beat the Mets 5-1, struck out 11 and hit a double. His 1978 card, #450, shows him with the Reds. On June 16, 1978, he threw his only major-league no-hitter, a 4-0 win over St. Louis at Riverfront Stadium.
Tom Seaver pitched 20 major-league seasons for the Mets, Reds, White Sox and Red Sox, finishing with 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts and a 2.86 ERA. He threw 61 shutouts. The right-hander known as Tom Terrific grew up in Fresno, served in the Marine Corps Reserve and pitched at Fresno City College and Southern California. Commissioner William Eckert voided his 1966 contract with Atlanta because USC had already played exhibition games. The Mets won his signing rights in a lottery that also included Philadelphia and Cleveland. Seaver became the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year and helped the Mets win the 1969 World Series. He won three NL Cy Young Awards, in 1969, 1973 and 1975, and made 12 All-Star teams. His drop-and-drive delivery brought his knee close to the ground as he powered the pitch with his legs. After returning to the Mets in 1983, he joined the White Sox through the free-agent compensation draft. His 300th win was a 4-1 complete game at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 1985. The Mets retired his number 41 in 1988. In 1992 he entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 98.84 percent of the writers' vote, then a record.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,541 | 176 | 916 | 816 | 231 | 138 | 129 | 135 | 0 |
| SGC | 292 | 4 | 53 | 106 | 64 | 25 | 17 | 20 | 3 |
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: #526 Cincinnati Reds Team
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #5 Pete Rose
- #20 Pete Rose
- #47 Jack Billingham
- #80 Ken Griffey
- #106 Bill Plummer
- #126 Paul Moskau
- #149 Dale Murray
- #180 Dave Concepcion
- #202 1977 Home Run Leaders
- #203 1977 RBI Leaders
- #220 Pedro Borbon
- #246 Dan Driessen
- #273 Fred Norman
- #276 Bill Bonham
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #450 card?
It is card #450 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.