1979 Topps #573 Jim Kern
About Jim Kern
Kern's first season in Texas produced a 13-5 record, a 1.57 ERA and 29 saves. It brought him the Rolaids Relief Man award, The Sporting News Fireman of the Year honor and fourth place in the American League Cy Young voting. He was the league's pitcher of the month for May, going 4-0 with four saves. On July 4 he struck out nine in four innings against Baltimore for his 14th save. His #573 is printed with the Indians although he pitched for Texas.
Jim Kern was a 6-foot-5 right-handed reliever who saved 88 games in 13 seasons with Cleveland, Texas, Cincinnati, the White Sox, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. Cleveland signed him from Midland High School in Michigan in 1967. He missed the 1969 baseball season while serving in the Marines. Joe Horlen helped him improve his control at San Antonio in 1973, and Kern won the Allie Reynolds Award as the American Association's best pitcher at Oklahoma City in 1974. He debuted on September 6, 1974, with a complete game in a 1-0 loss to Baltimore. Cleveland used him primarily in relief from 1976. His nickname Emu dated to that season: Fritz Peterson and Pat Dobson were working a clubhouse crossword while Kern ran around crowing and flapping his arms. A hyperextended elbow and a neck injury interrupted his 1980 season, and he dislocated his elbow in 1983. On May 6, 1985, he turned an unassisted double play for Milwaukee, the first by a pitcher since Jim Umbarger in 1975. Kern started the Emu Outfitting Company in Arlington, Texas, in 1987, arranging hunting, fishing and photography trips.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 45 | 3 | 23 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #96 Cleveland Indians / Jeff Torborg
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #573 card?
It is card #573 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim Kern of the Cleveland Indians.
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.