1979 Topps #309 Ralph Garr
About Ralph Garr
Garr slipped to .275 with 3 home runs in 1978. On August 7 he threw a ball fielded off the wall to the wrong base against Kansas City, letting a runner score, and on August 10 he fought pitcher Francisco Barrios after a loss to Toronto. He opened 1979 in left field for the White Sox, the club on his #309, but lost the spot soon after Tony La Russa replaced Don Kessinger as manager. On September 20 Chicago sold his contract to the California Angels.
Ralph Garr was a left-handed-hitting outfielder who spent his best years with the Atlanta Braves and finished with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels. A speedy contact hitter who hit to all fields, he batted .306 over 13 seasons and hit .300 or better five times. He came out of Grambling, where he led the NAIA with a .585 average in 1967 as a second baseman, and Atlanta moved him to the outfield in the minors. In 1974 he won the National League batting title at .353, led the league in hits and triples, and made his only All-Star team. His glove drew criticism throughout his career. The Braves' public relations director gave him the Road Runner nickname in 1971, tying it to his speed and to a licensing deal with Warner Bros. In 1975 he became the first player to double his salary through arbitration. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame and the International League Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 108 | 6 | 76 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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: #404 Chicago White Sox / Don Kessinger
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #42 Ron Blomberg
- #88 Bob Molinaro
- #127 Thad Bosley
- #134 Alan Bannister
- #169 Bill Nahorodny
- #186 Eric Soderholm
- #216 Wilbur Wood
- #227 Steve Stone
- #242 Pablo Torrealba
- #266 Jim Willoughby
- #275 Junior Moore
- #283 Ken Kravec
- #333 Chet Lemon
- #351 Wayne Nordhagen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #309 card?
It is card #309 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ralph Garr of the Chicago White Sox.
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.