1979 Topps #173 John Lowenstein
About John Lowenstein
The Texas Rangers appear on #173, but Lowenstein reached Baltimore on November 27, 1978, when the Orioles claimed him off waivers for $20,000. In 1979 he hit .254 with 11 home runs. In Game 1 of the ALCS he pinch-hit for Mark Belanger and hit a three-run homer off John Montague in the tenth inning to beat California. Baltimore then lost the World Series to Pittsburgh in seven games.
John Lowenstein was a left-handed-hitting outfielder who played 16 major-league seasons, 1970 to 1985, for the Indians, Rangers and Orioles, hitting .253 with 116 home runs and 128 stolen bases. He played for Cleveland through 1977, mostly as a utility player, before finding a role in Baltimore, where he platooned in left field with Gary Roenicke under Earl Weaver and hit .320 with 24 home runs in 1982. He was a member of the 1983 World Series champions, robbing the Phillies' Bo Diaz of a home run with an off-the-wall catch in Game 1 and homering in Game 2. Born in Wolf Point, Montana, he starred at UC Riverside, where he hit .393 in 1968, and was an 18th-round pick of Cleveland that year. He was known for dry humor: carried off on a stretcher in June 1980 after a throw struck him in the head, he sat up and pumped his fists for the crowd. He later spent about a decade as an Orioles television analyst.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 51 | 4 | 31 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #499 Texas Rangers / Pat Corrales
More Texas Rangers cards:
- #22 Mike Jorgensen
- #44 Kurt Bevacqua
- #67 Jim Mason
- #94 Len Barker
- #120 Jim Sundberg
- #144 Sandy Alomar
- #198 Johnny Grubb
- #209 Reggie Cleveland
- #234 Toby Harrah
- #260 Richie Zisk
- #285 Bobby Bonds
- #315 Jon Matlack
- #336 Bobby Thompson
- #369 Bump Wills
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #173 card?
It is card #173 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Lowenstein of the Texas Rangers.
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.