1979 Topps #430 Dave Parker
About Dave Parker
After the cheekbone injury Parker sank into an 0-for-24 slump, then won National League Player of the Month in August and September. He finished 1978 at a major-league-best .334 with 30 home runs and 117 RBIs. He drew 21 of 24 first-place MVP votes. On January 26, 1979, the Pirates announced a five-year contract, widely called baseball's first million-dollar-a-year deal. He shares League Leaders card #1 with the Twins' Rod Carew, and his own 1979 card is #430.
Dave Parker was a 6-foot-5 left-handed-hitting right fielder who played 19 major league seasons, 1973 to 1991, and spent his prime in Pittsburgh as Roberto Clemente's successor in right field. He won National League batting titles in 1977 and 1978, was the 1978 Most Valuable Player, took three straight Gold Gloves from 1977 to 1979 and made seven All-Star teams. He grew up in Cincinnati near Crosley Field, and the Pirates drafted him in the 14th round in 1970. After the 1983 season he signed with his hometown Reds as a free agent, led the league with 125 RBIs in 1985, finished second to Willie McGee in that year's MVP voting and won the first Home Run Derby at the 1985 All-Star Game. Cincinnati traded him to Oakland for Jose Rijo and Tim Birtsas in December 1987, and he won World Series rings with the 1979 Pirates and the 1989 Athletics before finishing with Milwaukee, California and Toronto. He retired with 2,712 hits, 339 home runs and a .290 average. He testified at the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials and drew a suspension that was later commuted. The Classic Baseball Era Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in December 2024 with 87.5 percent of the vote. He died on June 28, 2025, before the July induction ceremony.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 692 | 44 | 299 | 191 | 70 | 44 | 15 | 29 | 0 |
| SGC | 60 | 1 | 10 | 23 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 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
More Dave Parker in this set: #1 League Leaders
Team card: #244 Pittsburgh Pirates / Chuck Tanner
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #1 1978 Batting Leaders
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #28 Steve Brye
- #55 Willie Stargell
- #70 John Candelaria
- #92 Jim Bibby
- #117 Grant Jackson
- #147 Dave Hamilton
- #165 Frank Taveras
- #189 Eddie Whitson
- #208 Clarence Gaston
- #223 Kent Tekulve
- #264 Don Robinson
- #286 Duffy Dyer
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #430 card?
It is card #430 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.