Baseball Card 77357 – 1978 Topps Bill Madlock
Bill Madlock had a long and successful career playing third base in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987. He was known for his consistent hitting and winning four batting titles over his career. The 1978 Topps baseball card #77357 captures Madlock during his playing days with the Chicago Cubs. Let’s take a deeper look at this card and the career of the player it depicts.
Bill Madlock was born in 1952 in San Diego, California. He grew up loving the game of baseball and dreamed of playing in the majors one day. After attending Mesa Community College, Madlock was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 5th round of the 1971 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut with the Giants in 1973 and had a solid rookie season, batting .291 in 113 games. Madlock would spend the next four seasons with the Giants, establishing himself as a reliable hitter and third baseman.
In 1977, Madlock was traded to the Chicago Cubs. This move turned out to be a career-defining one for Madlock as he entered his prime years in Chicago. The 1978 season captured on this Topps card was one of Madlock’s best. He led the National League with a .325 batting average, winning the first of his four career batting titles. Madlock showed incredible consistency at the plate that year, collecting 200 hits in only 615 at-bats. He played in all 162 Cubs games and helped lead them to an 84-78 record.
Topps was the dominant baseball card company in 1978 and their design for that year remains a classic look that is popular with collectors today. The photo on card #77357 shows Madlock from the waist up in his Cubs road grey uniform. He has a serious, focused expression as he gazes straight ahead. In the background is a plain light grey backdrop, keeping the focus clearly on Madlock. The simple yet effective design allowed Madlock’s stats and accomplishments from 1977 to take center stage. On the front is also includes his name, team, and position in bold yellow text.
The stats listed on the back of the 1978 Topps Madlock card truly showcase why he was such an elite hitter in the National League at that time. In addition to leading the league in batting average in 1977 at .325, Madlock also had an on-base percentage of .383 and slugging percentage of .451. He racked up 200 hits, 36 doubles, 11 home runs and 79 RBI – all while playing in and starting all 162 Cubs games at third base. The back of the card provides a brief career overview as well, noting his time previously with the Giants. The design, photo and stats featured make this a very informative rookie card for any Madlock collector.
Madlock would go on to have three more excellent seasons with the Cubs through 1980, winning additional batting titles in 1979 and 1982. He established himself as one of the best hitting third basemen in baseball during this time frame. Injuries slowed Madlock down a bit in 1981, though he still managed a solid .289 average. Prior to the 1982 season, Madlock was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. This move reunited him with former Cubs manager Chuck Tanner, and Madlock thrived in Pittsburgh over the next several years.
With the Pirates, Madlock enjoyed some of the best seasons and postseason success of his career. He won his fourth and final batting title in 1983 with a league-leading .323 average. Madlock was a key member of the Pirates teams that won the 1979 and 1981 NL East division titles, though they fell short in the NLCS both years. Finally in 1982, Madlock got his chance to play in the World Series. As the Bucs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, Madlock hit .333 in the series. Pittsburgh would go on to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series, giving Madlock his only career World Series ring.
Madlock continued as the Pirates regular third baseman and top hitter through the 1985 season. He remained a consistent .300 hitter who could also drive in runs. By 1987 at age 35, Madlock was splitting time with Jay Bell at third base for Pittsburgh. That offseason, he was released and spent one final season back with the Cubs in 1988, appearing in 89 games primarily as a pinch hitter and part-time player. Madlock decided to retire after the 1988 season having played 15 years in the majors. He finished his career with a .305 batting average, 2157 hits, 144 home runs and 1049 RBI in 2055 games played.
The 1978 Topps Bill Madlock baseball card captures the Cubs third baseman during one of his finest individual seasons and the prime of his career. Madlock’s consistent excellence at the plate led to four batting titles and a long, productive career spanning three different MLB franchises. He established himself as one of the top third basemen and pure hitters of his era. This classic rookie card commemorates Madlock’s breakout season with the Cubs and remains a key piece for any collector of this all-time great hitter.
