The 1978 Topps baseball card set was issued during a time of change in Major League Baseball. This was the first year that cards were issued after the 1977 MLB expansion which added the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays as expansion teams. The set features 660 total cards including career accomplishments cards, manager cards, and team checklist cards.
Some of the key highlights from the 1978 Topps baseball card set include:
Rookies: Some notable rookie cards included Jim Rice, Dwight Evans, Steve Rogers, Tom Paciorek, and Dan Quisenberry. Rice would go on to have a Hall of Fame career hitting 382 career home runs.
Design: The design featured a yellow and red baseball patterned border on most cards. In the upper left there was a photo of the player along with their name and team. Stats and career highlights were listed on the back.
Player Changes: Reggie Jackson appeared on the Yankees after his famous 1977 World Series performance for them. Other notable trades/moves included Paul Molitor and Dave Parker joining the Brewers and Dave Kingman signing with the Mets.
Stars: Superstars of the era like Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, and Tom Seaver continued to be featured. The set also included legends like Willie Mays in his final season.
expansion teams: Roster cards were included for the expansion Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays, who were stocking their teams with veterans either late in their careers or on the decline. Future stars like Rod Carew and Dave Martinez also joined the expansion clubs.
Checklists: In addition to team checklists, the set included checklists for the American and National Leagues as divisions were introduced in 1969.
Some key individual cards from the 1978 Topps baseball card set include:
Nolan Ryan (#305): Features the then-Astro’s fireballer with his blazing fastball. He would strike out over 350 batters in 1978.
Mike Schmidt (#484): Shows the Phillies slugging third baseman, who would go on to win the NL MVP award in 1978 after hitting 38 home runs.
Rod Carew (#101): Features Carew in his first season with the expansion Mariners after a stellar career with the Twins up to that point.
Pete Rose (#284): Captures baseball’s hit king in action for the Reds chasing the all-time hits record. Rose would rack up over 200 hits for the 13th straight season in 1978.
Ozzie Smith (#554): Features Smith in just his second major league season and with the Padres. He was establishing himself as a defensive wizard at shortstop early in his career.
Dave Winfield (#299): Highlights Winfield’s first season with the new AL West powerhouse California Angels after begin dealt by the San Diego Padres.
Some other notable cards from the 1978 set:
Willie McCovey (#345) – In what was McCovey’s final season, he is shown batting for the Giants.
Rollie Fingers (#233) – The mustachioed reliever/closer was shown closing out games for the AL Champion Royals.
Tom Seaver (#300)- Features “Tom Terrific” in his 11th season and with the Cincinnati Reds after being shockingly traded from the Mets.
Carl Yastrzemski (#399) – Shows Yaz patrolling left field late in his Hall of Fame Career that was entirely with the Boston Red Sox.
Reggie Jackson (#255) – Highlights Mr. October settling into pinstripes after his legend grew immensely with his 1977 World Series heroics for the Yankees.
The 1978 Topps baseball card set provides a glimpse at the game during a transition year that saw expansion, player movement, as well as superstars and future legends continuing to make their mark. The designs were classic for the time and many key rookie cards and individual standouts make it a very memorable issue in the long history of Topps baseball cards.
