1979 Topps #551 Chicago Cubs / Herman Franks
Hall of Famers on the 1978 Chicago Cubs roster: Bruce Sutter.
About this card
This is one of the 26 team cards, one for each club, and each also carries the club's manager - there are no separate manager cards in 1979.
The story on this card
The 1978 Cubs, in their 63rd season at Wrigley Field, finished 79-83 and third in the National League East under Herman Franks, who had led them to 81-81 the year before. Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter was on the roster. On June 14 in Cincinnati, Pete Rose singled off Cubs pitcher Dave Roberts to open a hitting streak that ran until August 1. Franks was one game above .500 in September 1979 when he resigned, complaining about certain players. Card #551 combines the Cubs with their manager.
A backup catcher for the Cardinals, Dodgers, Athletics and Giants in the 1930s-40s, Herman Franks later managed the San Francisco Giants to four straight second-place finishes before taking over the Chicago Cubs.
Sources: Wikipedia (1978 Chicago Cubs season) · Wikipedia (Herman Franks) · Wikipedia (1977 Chicago Cubs season) · SABR BioProject · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 138 | 15 | 72 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #551 card?
It is card #551 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing the Chicago Cubs. This is one of the 26 team cards, one for each club, and each also carries the club's manager - there are no separate manager cards in 1979.
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.