1978 Topps #34 Willie McCovey
About Willie McCovey
At age 39, McCovey batted .280 with 28 home runs and 86 RBI for San Francisco in 1977, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors. His 1978 Topps coverage included Record Breakers #3 and his regular Giants card, #34. He appeared in 141 games during that comeback season.
Willie McCovey went 4-for-4 with two triples off Robin Roberts in his major league debut on July 30, 1959. He hit .354 with 13 home runs in 52 games and won National League Rookie of the Year. The Giants had signed him at a Florida tryout camp in 1955, after scout Alex Pompez followed a recommendation from Mobile playground director Jesse Thomas. McCovey's height and long arms earned the first baseman the nickname 'Stretch.' He played 22 major league seasons, 19 of them with San Francisco, and also played for San Diego and Oakland. A six-time All-Star, he homered off both John Odom and Denny McLain in the 1969 All-Star Game and won its MVP award. He retired in 1980 with 521 home runs, 1,555 RBI and a .270 average. The Giants retired his number 44, and he entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 on the first ballot. The inlet beyond the right-field wall at San Francisco's new ballpark was named McCovey Cove in his honor.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,006 | 9 | 132 | 380 | 193 | 127 | 92 | 73 | 0 |
| SGC | 127 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 15 | 18 | 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
More Willie McCovey in this set: #3 Record Breakers
Team card: #82 San Francisco Giants Team
More San Francisco Giants cards:
- #3 Willie McCovey
- #8 Mike Sadek
- #62 Jim Barr
- #107 Ed Halicki
- #142 John Montefusco
- #167 Tim Foli
- #194 Derrel Thomas
- #215 Darrell Evans
- #236 Terry Whitfield
- #256 Joe Altobelli
- #284 Randy Moffitt
- #312 Greg Minton
- #338 Dave Heaverlo
- #359 Marc Hill
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #34 card?
It is card #34 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants.
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.