Manufacturer: Topps
Set: 1970 Topps Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Bill Buckner & Jack Jenkins
Position/Team: 1st Base & Outfield for Dodgers
Card #: 286
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Buckner was one of the most consistent, toughest, and best pure contact hitters of his era. Playing across four separate decades (1969–1990), he amassed numbers that border on Hall of Fame consideration.
Drafted by Los Angeles in 1968, Buckner broke into the majors at just 19 years old. Managed in the minors and later the majors by Tommy Lasorda, Buckner actually started his career primarily as a speedy outfielder. He hit .314 to help the Dodgers win the National League pennant in 1974 and even stole 31 bases that year. However, a severe ankle injury in 1975 permanently robbed him of his speed and forced a transition to first base.
Traded to the Cubs in 1977, Buckner became a beloved fan favorite at Wrigley Field. Despite a chronic, pronounced limp from his ankle issues, he put up his finest individual seasons in Chicago. He won the 1980 NL Batting Title with a blistering .324 average. He earned an All-Star selection in 1981, leading the league with 35 doubles.
Traded to the Red Sox in 1984, Buckner became a vital veteran presence. He had massive seasons in 1985 (201 hits, 110 RBIs) and 1986 (18 home runs, 102 RBIs) to propel Boston to the fall classic. Then came the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6 against the New York Mets. Playing on completely worn-down ankles that required hours of ice and wrapping before every game, a ground ball off the bat of Mookie Wilson trickled through his legs. The Mets won, took Game 7, and the error unfairly came to define him for decades in New England.
Buckner wrapped up his career playing for the California Angels and Kansas City Royals, before making a poignant, emotional return to Boston in 1990 to finish his career where he received a booming standing ovation from the Fenway faithful.
Bill Buckner shares this Dodgers “Rookie Stars” card with Jack Jenkins.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
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Did You Know? While everyone remembers him for the 1986 World Series, many people don’t know that Bill Buckner was such a pure, elite contact hitter that he actually won the National League batting title in 1980 with a screaming .324 average. Even more remarkably, despite playing 22 grueling big-league seasons and taking nearly 10,000 career at-bats, he only struck out 453 times—meaning he put the ball in play roughly 95% of the time he stepped to the plate.
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