1979 Topps #231 Johnny Wockenfuss
About Johnny Wockenfuss
Wockenfuss moved to the outfield in 1978, playing 60 games there as Milt May and Lance Parrish held the catching job, and hit .283. Under Sparky Anderson, who took over as manager in mid-June 1979, he played mostly first base and hit 15 home runs in 231 at-bats, including a grand slam in a two-homer game against the Rangers on August 9. Detroit's writers named him the club's Most Versatile player. Topps issued his 1979 card, #231, with Detroit.
Johnny Wockenfuss was a catcher, first baseman, outfielder and designated hitter who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1974 to 1983 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1984 and 1985. He attended John Dickinson High School in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Washington Senators drafted him in the 42nd round in 1967. A pitcher in high school, he was converted to outfielder and then, in 1972, to catcher. Traded to the Cardinals in June 1973 and to the Tigers that December, he was called up when catcher Jerry Moses fractured a finger and made his debut on August 11, 1974. His first major league home run, a second-deck shot off Frank Tanana on June 11, 1975, came in a doubleheader in which he caught all 17 innings. In 1980 he hit 16 home runs with 65 RBI and a career-high .390 on-base percentage. The Tigers sent him and Glenn Wilson to the Phillies for Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman on March 24, 1984. He later managed in the minors and for the independent Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs, and entered the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 50 | 5 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #231 card?
It is card #231 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Johnny Wockenfuss of the Detroit Tigers.
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.