1979 Topps #196 Steve Kemp
About Steve Kemp
Kemp's 1979 line read .318 with 26 home runs and 105 RBI in 134 games. He made the American League All-Star team and was named Tiger of the Year by the Detroit Baseball Writers Association. His #196 is printed with the Tigers.
Steve Kemp was a left-handed-hitting outfielder for the Tigers, White Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Rangers across 11 major-league seasons from 1977 to 1988. He played at USC under Rod Dedeaux and was part of the 1973 and 1974 College World Series champions. In 1975 he hit .435, led USC with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs, and earned All-American honors. Detroit made him the first overall selection in the January phase of the 1976 draft. After one minor-league season, he reached the Tigers and played there through 1981. Kemp spent 1982 with the White Sox, 1983 and 1984 with the Yankees and 1985 and 1986 with Pittsburgh, then appeared in 16 games for Texas in 1988. His career totals included 130 home runs, 634 RBIs and a .278 average in 1,168 games. He drew 576 walks and posted a .367 on-base percentage. After leaving the majors he played a season in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He entered the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 176 | 39 | 95 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #66 Detroit Tigers / Les Moss
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #33 Dave Rozema
- #80 Jason Thompson
- #93 Phil Mankowski
- #123 Lou Whitaker
- #151 John Hiller
- #176 Aurelio Rodriguez
- #217 Steve Dillard
- #231 Johnny Wockenfuss
- #251 Jack Morris
- #272 Tim Corcoran
- #288 Milt Wilcox
- #316 Milt May
- #343 Ed Glynn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #196 card?
It is card #196 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Steve Kemp 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.