Ken Griffey Sr. had a long, productive major league career mostly spent with the Cincinnati Reds, yet his baseball cards are not nearly as well known as those of his talented son Ken Griffey Jr. However, Griffey Sr.’s cards from the 1970s still hold value for dedicated collectors thanks to his solid playing career and memorable moments on notable Reds teams. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the more significant Griffey Sr. baseball cards from his playing days.
One of Griffey Sr.’s earliest issued cards comes from his rookie season of 1973 with Topps. Sporting Reds red uniforms on a blue background, the simple design shows Griffey from the waist up in a classic batting stance. The stats listing on the back provide a glimpse at Griffey’s early potential, with a .281 batting average, 6 home runs, and 35 RBI in 88 games as a part-time player in his first MLB action. While not exceedingly rare at this point, Griffey Sr.’s 1973 Topps rookie card remains a noteworthy piece of his collecting portfolio.
In 1974, Griffey started to become an everyday player as he hit .296 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 138 games. This breakout season is captured on his 1974 Topps card, where he is again featured from the waist up but now with an action shot of his smooth left-handed swing. The stats on the reverse now reflect Griffey’s emergence as a quality major league hitter. His 1974 offering isn’t particularly scarce on the collecting market but holds value for any Griffey completist.
Griffey truly began making his mark during the Big Red Machine era of the 1970s Reds dynasty. His 1975 and 1976 Topps cards stand out for depicting Griffey amid that championship context. The 1975 issue shows Griffey crouched in the on-deck circle at Riverfront Stadium with teammates Pete Rose and Tony Perez visible in the backdrop. It appropriately lists Griffey’s career-best .301 batting average from 1975 on the back. In 1976, Griffey followed that up by hitting a career-high 13 home runs as depicted on his ’76 Topps card in another on-deck circle action shot. Both remain very obtainable cards but hold extra significance for collectors due to Griffey’s involvement with those renowned Reds clubs.
Injuries hampered Griffey for much of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, limiting him to 54 and 50 games respectively during those campaigns. When healthy he continued hitting well, including a .327 average in 1977 portrayed on his ’77 Topps issue. Both of these lightweight years from Griffey have become fairly tough pulls for collectors nowadays. Then in 1979, Griffey enjoyed a minor career resurgence at age 32 by playing in 130 games and hitting .301, a rebound captured on his solid ’79 Topps card which also remains obtainable but not incredibly common in higher grades.
After 13 seasons with the Reds, Griffey was traded midway through 1980 to the Yankees, where he spent the remainder of his career. His 1980 and 1981 Topps cards from his brief NY tenure depict Griffey in pinstripes, including an action photo on the ’81 issue swinging from the left side. While donning an unfamiliar uniform, the cards commemorate the closing chapter of Griffey’s playing days. He retired after the 1981 season having amassed a respectable .296 career batting average over 1,887 total games played spanning 16 seasons from 1973 to 1981.
In summarizing Griffey Sr.’s baseball card catalog, his 1970s flagship Topps issues from his Reds tenure remain the most historically relevant and available at affordable prices relative to other players from that era. Condition and demand factor into individual value, but even higher grade examples can often be acquired for under $10 each. His 1973 rookie and breakout 1974 and 1975 issues provide affordable entry points for collectors, while the more iconic 1976 card amid the Big Red Machine stands out. Later 1970s/early 1980s Yankees issues also commemorate Griffey’s solid career. Though overshadowed by son Ken Griffey Jr.’s epic 1990s cards, Griffey Sr.’s collection documents a quality career deserves recognition from collectors.
