1979 Topps #456 Chuck Baker
About Chuck Baker
Baker's first big league season was 1978, when he appeared in 44 games for the Padres and hit .207. He played 24 games at second base and 12 at shortstop. His rookie card, #456 in the 1979 set, lists him with San Diego. In 1980 he appeared in 9 more games for the Padres, 8 of them at shortstop.
Chuck Baker was a right-handed middle infielder who played 93 major league games for the San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins between 1978 and 1981. A Seattle native, he earned an engineering degree at Loyola Marymount, and San Diego signed him as the 43rd overall pick of the 1975 draft. Three earlier clubs had drafted him without reaching a contract: the Twins in 1971, the Royals in 1973 and the Astros in 1974. He debuted with the Padres on April 7, 1978, and Minnesota acquired him in 1981 in a transaction for Dave Edwards. His major league line was .185 with two doubles and three triples. In the minors he played 565 games from 1975 to 1980 and hit .251 with 33 home runs. He also played winter ball for Caracas in the Venezuelan League from 1977 to 1979.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 83 | 36 | 35 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1979 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #479 San Diego Padres / Roger Craig
More San Diego Padres cards:
- #5 1978 Victory Leaders
- #8 1978 Leading Firemen
- #30 Dave Winfield
- #57 Eric Rasmussen
- #116 Ozzie Smith
- #138 Mark Lee
- #164 Mickey Lolich
- #194 Randy Jones
- #247 Tucker Ashford
- #263 Oscar Gamble
- #292 Don Reynolds
- #321 Gaylord Perry
- #342 Dave Roberts
- #364 Gene Richards
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #456 card?
It is card #456 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Chuck Baker of the San Diego Padres.
Is 1979 Topps #456 a rookie card?
Yes - #456 is the 1979 Topps rookie card of Chuck Baker.
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.