Best of 1978 Topps

[brewing]

List (highly encouraged to post pics) your top 5. The criteria of your selection is up to you (photo, great season, error, first card, favorite player, etc.).

We'll do each year starting from 1980 to 1952. I'll start a new year about once a week. I'll close voting a month after the first post of the thread and tally up the results.

With these basic rules...
1. You can only vote for a player's card twice during his entire run (Let's not make this a Mantle and Ryan love fest). Consider that when making your selections.

2. Provide a reason for each choice if you're the first person making that selection. You are encouraged, but it's not necessary to restate the point if someone already said it.

3. Pick only 5. We are going through 29 years, limiting to only Topps regular releases, tough decisions will be made. List honorable mentions if you desire, but they will not be counted in the final tally.

[brewing]

Even though I started in 1980, there seemed to be a ton of 1978's available in my neighborhood. I'm fond of this set only because of the childhood memories.


The best pitcher in 1978, Louisiana Lightning in action!



The Cobra was a star in 1978, ugly uniform, but I like the photo of him waiting for is turn in the cage. Parker also won the MVP this year. One of my favorite All Star Logos that Topps used.


Along with Parker, Rice was one of the most feared sluggers during this era. This is his MVP year too.



Jackson in full action, in the classic home uni. Has the All Star logo and I am loving those stir-ups.



This card is cool to me. Rookie trophy, ballcap on under the helmet, wristbands, and no batting gloves.

Honorable Mention:
Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk both have their mouths open with one at bat and the other catching.
Molitor/Trammell rookie card, should be 2 HoFers. My dislike of the combined rookie cards kills it for me.
Rod Carew

[nolemmings]

I will try and include in my 5 one common card and one that is peculiar to the design or not as often seen. I'm poaching the scans, mostly from Ebay, and do not know how to control their size.

1. Guidry--already shown. Great shot of Gator issued during the best season I can recall from a pitcher.

2. Murray--already shown. Love the way he's looking right at you and the rookie cup.

3. Thurman Munson. The classic backstopper looking like a leader.


4. Sparky Anderson. I like the design concept of contrasting player vs. manager. Skipper of the Big Red Machine during this time.


5. Roy Howell. I picked this as my common man for 1978. I love cards where the photographer beautifully frames the subject, the background captures part of the baseball experience (e.g.the ball park and not some washed out non-descript blurry background) and the player's gear is prominently displayed--here the logos and colors of a team in its infancy.


FWIW, I do not regard the 1978 set very highly. I hated it when it came out for being lazy in design--a script team name? Lots of muddy photos too, although every Topps set still has its gems. It has grown on me more over the years though, but is still my least favorite set of the decade (as if anyone cares).

[savedfrommyspokes]

The 78 set is not my favorite either, but I do have a few cards that are classics for me.

I began collecting in late 78, so although I did not open packs that year, I acquired many of these as gifts, etc.
1. Growing up in New England, Thurman was long my favorite player and this card is one of my favorite Thurman cards(71 being the favorite) because of the pose.
2. To have this 78 Reggie card was the goal of every boy in my school (even the Red Sox fans) in the late 70s...I can still remember how I felt the first time I saw a copy of the card and eventually traded the equivalent of an arm and leg for one.
3. My cousin gave me my first copy of a Tom Johnson card...Tom was my Uncle's roommate one season in the minor leagues.
4. The Wynegar card has a great "action" image.....
5. As I enjoy variations, the 78 (not 79) Bump Wills with the black circle is my favorite 78 Topps card

[JasonL]

In my opinion, this may be the best card of the 1970s, let alone the 1978 set.
captures a legend perfectly and has tremendous aesthetic value.

[Samsdaddy]

Another vote here for the regular Reggie Jackson card as well as his record breaker card, #7, which I cannot post since I do not have a scanner.

I did not collect this set as a kid and I am not sure why. I started in 1975 and had plenty from that year through 1977. I am not a huge fan of the style of this set but the Reggie card is sweet, no doubt.

[campyfan39]

1. Murray
2. Dawson
3. carter
4. Guidrey
5. Cey

[PM770]

1978 was the first year I bought baseball cards. I've never been real crazy about the design but even so it brings back a lot of memories.

1) Stolen Base Leaders (Patek/Taveras). I remember this was in the first pack I ever bought. I also seem to remember a Don Aase and Pete Mackanin from that pack.

2) George Foster. I was so happy when I finally pulled this one late into the summer. He has both the HR and RBI leader in those league leader cards. And the All-Star designation.

3) Buddy Bell. I've always been an Indians fan and he was their best player in 1978.

4) Len Randle. He looks so happy sliding into base. I was always amused by that.

5) Rick Burleson. This is kind of reach but his only All Star designation year so I'll take this one.

Would have used the Brett, but I've already used one and have another one I want to use.

[Gmrson]

Originally Posted by PM770

1978 was the first year I bought baseball cards. I've never been real crazy about the design but even so it brings back a lot of memories.

4) Len Randle. He looks so happy sliding into base. I was always amused by that.

First year I bought cards as well. Discovered them from friends at school. Memories from this..

The above Len Randle card. We would pass it around and stare at his hand...none of us had ever heard of a modern ballplayer missing his hand? Is it an illusion?


Mike Paxton-"aw man, you got another Mike Paxton painted face!"


Rod Carew-if it had a shield they were extra good!

Brooks Robinson-the player I first recognized. I remember getting him in the lone pack I bought a few years earlier with a Hank Aaron. It started my quest in assembling an amazing Brooksie collection that I unfortunately sold.

Alan Trammel-couldn't figure out why I never got that last couple cards for my Tigers team. A friend at school brought me the ones I was missing from the checklist...all the rookie cards. I thanked him but said I had them, just didn't know that's what they were!

[ALR-bishop]

[ALR-bishop]

....the other 1978 Topps set

[brewing]

After 8 votes,

Guidry 3
Reggie Jackson 3
Murray 3
Munson 2
Randle 2

Last call for votes

[hcv123]

1 - Reggie Jackson - reasons stated in previous posts - height of his career with the Yankees
2- Munson -I'm from NY - so the Yankees always stood out and
3- Billy Almon (padres) - The last card I needed to finish the set in '78 and one I will never forget!

[con40]

This has become a nice underrated set. The photos are decent overall and the frame colors accent the images well throughout. My personal favorites:

1. 1978 Topps Reggie Jackson (hated him but loved this photo!)

Long drop to the next card

2. 1978 Topps Carl Yastrzemski (great portrait)
3. 1978 Topps Ron Guidry
4. 1978 Topps Marty Pattin (for some reason I liked this card as a kid and kept it on the top of my stack for weeks)

[brewing]

After 10 votes, it's done

Reggie Jackson 5
Guidry 4
Murray 3
Munson 3

[mattsedate]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

I will try and include in my 5 one common card and one that is peculiar to the design or not as often seen. I'm poaching the scans, mostly from Ebay, and do not know how to control their size.

1. Guidry--already shown. Great shot of Gator issued during the best season I can recall from a pitcher.

2. Murray--already shown. Love the way he's looking right at you and the rookie cup.

3. Thurman Munson. The classic backstopper looking like a leader.


4. Sparky Anderson. I like the design concept of contrasting player vs. manager. Skipper of the Big Red Machine during this time.


5. Roy Howell. I picked this as my common man for 1978. I love cards where the photographer beautifully frames the subject, the background captures part of the baseball experience (e.g.the ball park and not some washed out non-descript blurry background) and the player's gear is prominently displayed--here the logos and colors of a team in its infancy.


FWIW, I do not regard the 1978 set very highly. I hated it when it came out for being lazy in design--a script team name? Lots of muddy photos too, although every Topps set still has its gems. It has grown on me more over the years though, but is still my least favorite set of the decade (as if anyone cares).

I like it.

[brewing]

Any comments on this 2020 version of best of 1978 Topps?

[rats60]

Reggie Jackson
Felix Milan
Len Randle
Kent Tekulve
Eddie Murray

[mrmopar]

My top 5 would be, in no particular order:

Reggie
Murray
Millan
Randle
Ault

A couple great cameos here. Parker and Munson showing up on "common" cards. I love the Ault card. If only he had a similar career to Murray, what a card this would have been.

The Reggie is by far his best card. An incredible image and that AS badge seals the deal.

Honorable mention to:

Koosman
Parker
Carew
R. White
Ruppert Jones
Rivers
Dawson

This was my first experience with new baseball cards, so this set is forever burned into my brain. At one point I could name any card by player w/o seeing the name. I could probably still call out 3/4 of the set that way today, maybe a little more.

[deweyinthehall]

1978 was also my first year of collecting - like others, I knew that set backward and forwards, could guess any card's # and come within 10 either way, etc. Because it was my first set, I had never heard of most of the players or several teams...the Mariners? Where do they play?? I was 10 and baseball cards made me a fan of baseball, and not the other way around as it might have been for most. As for my favorites, I have to start with the very first cards I ever owned - got them as a panel in Dynamite Magazine that April - here they are (the Dynamite panels were 6 cards...just my luck I got two DPs).

[deweyinthehall]

Then there were the quartet of Twins at the plate during a night game...always thought these were cool...

[deweyinthehall]

I've always loved these images of Rice, Simmons and Lopez - just having fun and loving being a big league ball player...

[deweyinthehall]

Now with pics...

[deweyinthehall]

Some other favorites - the wild action of Halicki, the gritty determination of Pocoroba, the unusual shot and lighting of Collins' image, the all-American, perfect composition of Garvey's card, with the All Star shield (we all thought he was Hall-bound for sure) and just because I have to, the "somebody find me a bucket, I'm about to puke" look that we all thought Twitchell was sporting...

[deweyinthehall]

I started out that season a Yankee fan because most of my friends were (lived in central CT) and they HAD just won the Series. Over the summer, when the Sox were dominating, my parents (life-long Sox fans) gave me no end of grief. Finally, in August, I cast several months of devoted fan-hood to the winds and declared myself a loyal Sox fan for life. But, then...

Anyway - though I have been a Sox fan ever since, the cards of Guidry and Jackson, both then and now, have always seemed to perfectly capture those two giants at the peak of their greatness...

[deweyinthehall]

Lastly, I have to add Gary Ross. Ross was the last card I needed to complete the set. In fact, I had all other 725 cards before I even knew what his card looked like - none of my friends had him either. Didn't know who he was, what he looked like...all I knew is he was standing between and a finished set. He was a complete mystery. I finally convinced mom to let me order a complete set from Renata Galasso (only $14.50!). When it came, I dug into it and headed straight for #291. Honestly, it was like an explorer setting eyes on a magnificent and previously never before seen wonder - Gary Ross was here! Of course, he was cut in spring training, and never threw an official pitch again, but I didn't know that.

[Bigdaddy]

1. Reggie, an almost perfect baseball card

and the rest in no particular order:

2. Mickey Rivers, cool follow through on his swing, with his helmet shading his eyes
3. Jim Palmer, great colors and loved seeing his Wilson glove up close
4. Munson, reminds me of the '76 Bench card, surveying the field in front of him like a general in battle
5. Fisk, great photo and I loved the AS logos

Honorable mentions:
Don Gullett, Carl Yaz, Johnny Bench, McCovey RB, Brooks RB

And a couple of personal notes:

• If I didn't say it before, I loved the AS logo, and the fact that it was in different places on the card
• Never much cared for the Eddie Murray RC, just didn't like it
• This was the first set I really collected, probably had over 3000 of 'em
• The Yankees, in gerenal had the best photography of any team. Lots of action shots
• I seemed to pull more Tony Perez cards than Carter had liver pills
• Several strong RCs including Morris, Trammel/Molitor, Whitaker, Dale Murphy (again)/Parrish and Murray