1978 Topps #456 Vern Ruhle
About Vern Ruhle
Detroit released Ruhle toward the end of spring training in 1978, and the Astros signed him the next day. He made 13 appearances for Houston, ten as a starter, and posted a 2.12 ERA. His 1978 card, #456, still shows him with the Tigers.
Vern Ruhle was a right-handed pitcher who worked 13 major league seasons, 1974 to 1986, mainly for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. A 17th-round pick from Olivet College in 1972, he debuted for Detroit in September 1974 and joined the rotation in 1975. In 1980 he went 12-4 and started Game Four of the NLCS against Philadelphia, and in 1981 he lost a 2-1 complete game to Fernando Valenzuela in the division series. He moved to the bullpen in 1983 and 1984, then pitched for Cleveland and California, reaching the 1986 ALCS. He retired at 67-88 with a 3.73 ERA and 582 strikeouts, and was a pitching coach for the Astros, Phillies, Mets and Reds in nine of the ten seasons from 1997 to 2006. He died in Houston on January 20, 2007, after a yearlong battle with multiple myeloma.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 145 | 5 | 42 | 62 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #404 Detroit Tigers Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #456 card?
It is card #456 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Vern Ruhle 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.