1979 Topps #457 Bruce Sutter
About Bruce Sutter
The Cubs acquired Dick Tidrow in May 1979 to work the innings before Sutter, who credited him for much of his success. Sutter finished with a 2.22 ERA and 37 saves, tying the National League record held by Clay Carroll and Rollie Fingers. On May 17, Mike Schmidt's 10th-inning homer beat him in Philadelphia's 23-22 win. His Cubs card is #457.
Bruce Sutter was a right-handed closer who built his career on the split-finger fastball. He pitched from 1976 to 1988 for the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves, led the National League in saves five times, and retired with a 2.83 ERA and 300 saves, then the third-highest total in history. He won a Cy Young Award, four Rolaids Relief Man awards and the 1982 World Series, and was a six-time All-Star.
Signed by the Cubs as a free agent in September 1971, Sutter had arm surgery for a pinched nerve and returned for 1973 spring training with diminished fastball velocity. Minor league instructor Fred Martin taught him the split-finger.
St. Louis sent Leon Durham, Ken Reitz and Ty Waller to the Cubs for him in December 1980. In 1982 he saved Game 7 of the World Series, ending it by striking out Gorman Thomas. His 45 saves in 1984 tied Dan Quisenberry's major league record. Atlanta signed him as a free agent in December 1984, but shoulder trouble brought three operations, cost him all of 1987 and ended his career after 1988.
Sutter was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers in 2006, his 13th year on the ballot, and was the first pitcher inducted who never started a game. The Cardinals retired his number 42.
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 | 325 | 10 | 134 | 94 | 34 | 24 | 16 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
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 1979 Topps #457 card?
It is card #457 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bruce Sutter of the Chicago Cubs.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.