1974 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1974 Topps baseball card set again contained a more manageable number of 660 cards. Unlike previous years, however (in fact, going back to Topps's debut baseball set in 1952) the cards were all released at the same time, rather than in waves. So, there are no scarcer 'higher numbers' for this set.
Card fronts featured the player photo in a round-edged block surrounded by a thin color border; at the upper left and lower right was a ribbon-like banner giving the team city and name. At the upper right of the card's white border was the player's position, with his name in the lower left.
Card backs featured a large block with a black background, with the card number in a black circle at the upper left, with the player name (repeated in a signature form) beside it. Player career statistics (and sometimes a paragraph about his career) were contained in the large lower-left block, while to the right were basic biographical info and a small cartoon.
At the time this set was going to press, it was still up in the air whether the San Diego Padres were moving to Washington, DC, and as a result some 15 Padres players were printed with the Washington location indicated on the front. These tend to be worth more than comparable Padres cards, and are not included in the set price.
Specialty cards in this set include playoff and World Series highlights, multi-photo rookie cards, statistical leaders, manager cards, and a tribute to Hank Aaron, which takes up the first six cards of the set.
Prominent players in this set include Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Thurman Munson, and Dave Winfield (rookie).