Glenn Hoffman had a long career as a major league baseball player, spending 17 seasons in the big leagues from 1975 to 1991. While he didn’t achieve superstar status as a player, Hoffman established himself as a reliable and versatile infielder who had a lengthy tenure in the major leagues. Hoffman also ended up having a significant impact on the baseball card collecting hobby through a famous error card that was printed featuring him in 1978.
Hoffman was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1st round of the June 1972 MLB Draft out of Sunset High School in Hayward, California. He made his major league debut with the Phillies on September 9, 1975 at the age of 21. Hoffman spent the first seven years of his career primarily as a utility infielder with the Phillies, playing shortstop, second base, third base and even a little outfield as he battled for regular playing time. His role varied from bench player to part-time starter as he hit between .230 and .270 for Philadelphia.
In December 1982, Hoffman was traded from the Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals along with players Jerry Martin and John Littlefield in exchange for Bake McBride and Dan Larson. Hoffman became a more regular starter at second base for the Cardinals from 1983-1986, establishing the best years of his career at the plate. In 1983 he set career highs of 131 games played and a .278 batting average. Hoffman was also part of the 1982 Cardinals team that won the World Series over the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was during Hoffman’s stint with the Cardinals that one of the most famous error cards in baseball card history was printed featuring him in Topps’ 1978 baseball card set. For some unknown reason, Topps used Hoffman’s 1977 statistics on his 1978 card despite the fact he played for the Phillies in 1977 and was now with the Cardinals. Not only was his team wrong, but his stats were also woefully out of date by a full season. This massive error by Topps made Hoffman’s 1978 card one of the most sought after and valuable collectors items in the entire set despite him being a role player.
In December 1986, Hoffman was traded by the Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs along with pitcher Doug Capilla, catcher Tom Nieto, and a player to be named later (Scott Schuver) in exchange for pitchers George Frazier, Steve Linzy and Henry Cotto. He spent the next three seasons with the Cubs from 1987-1989 where he saw declining playing time but remained a reliable veteran utility man capable of filling in at multiple positions when needed. Hoffman hit .254 in 341 games over three years for Chicago.
Following his tenure with the Cubs, Hoffman signed as a free agent with the California Angels prior to the 1990 season. He spent one year in Anaheim in 1990 where he was mostly used as a backup and pinch hitter, appearing in 78 games and hitting .221. It would be Hoffman’s last season playing full time in the majors. In 1991 he spent one final season splitting time between the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, retiring at the age of 38 after 17 seasons in the big leagues.
In his career, Hoffman played in 1,589 games over 17 seasons, compiling a .254 batting average with 31 home runs and 333 RBI. He was primarily a second baseman but also saw significant time at shortstop and third base as well as a handful of outfield appearances. While he didn’t have gaudy career numbers, Hoffman established himself as a versatile defender capable of filling in all over the field when needed by his team.
After his retirement, Hoffman stayed involved in baseball by working as a coach and scout. He served as a coach for the Angels from 1995-1997 and served various scouting roles for the Cubs, Marlins, Red Sox and Yankees over the next 15 years. Hoffman was also part of the Yankees 2006 coaching staff when they won the World Series.
To this day, Hoffman’s infamous 1978 Topps error card remains one of the most valued and recognizable mistakes in the entire hobby of baseball cards. While Hoffman never achieved superstar status as a player, this one error by Topps ensured his place in baseball card lore and collecting history. The mix up of his team and statistics on a mass produced baseball card cemented Hoffman’s place among the most famous players to ever appear on a mistake card. Even casual baseball fans recognize the significance of his unusual 1978 Topps issue decades later.
While Glenn Hoffman had a long but unspectacular major league career playing for six different teams over 17 seasons, he left an indelible mark on the baseball card collecting world through one of the most infamous errors ever made. The legacy of that mistaken 1978 Topps card featuring Hoffman continues to fascinate collectors and drive interest in his story many years after his retirement from playing the game. Hoffman may not have ever been a huge star on the field, but he achieved statistical immortality of sorts through one of the hobby’s most interesting anomalies.
