1977 Topps #227 Joe Sambito
About Joe Sambito
Sambito's debut came on July 20, 1976 in Pittsburgh with the bases loaded. He relieved Tom Griffin, walked Richie Hebner on four pitches to force in a run, then watched Manny Sanguillen clear the bases with a triple, and still pitched 4 2/3 innings. His only complete game and shutout followed on August 29, a four-hit win over the Cardinals. In 1977 he made 54 appearances with a 2.33 ERA and seven saves. His rookie card is #227, printed with the Astros.
Joe Sambito was a left-handed reliever, a fastball and slider pitcher who threw for the Houston Astros, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox between 1976 and 1987. Born in Brooklyn, he pitched at Adelphi University, where he also played wide receiver, and was an All-American in 1973 before Houston drafted him in the 17th round. He started games in the minors and led the Southern League with 140 strikeouts at Double-A Columbus in 1975, then took to relief in the majors, a role he said he learned to love. He finished fifth in the 1980 Cy Young voting and pitched in the 1980 NLCS against Philadelphia and the 1981 division series against the Dodgers. He opened 1982 with four saves and a 0.71 ERA in nine April appearances, but bone chips were found to have damaged the ligaments of his elbow. Tommy John surgery cost him the rest of that season and all of 1983. In 1986 he went 12 for 12 in save chances for the Red Sox, who reached the World Series. He finished 37-38 with a 3.03 ERA and 84 saves in 461 games, and later worked as a players' agent whose clients included Andy Pettitte and Paul Goldschmidt.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 86 | 7 | 48 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1977 Topps #227 card?
It is card #227 of the 660-card 1977 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Sambito of the Houston Astros.
Is 1977 Topps #227 a rookie card?
Yes - #227 is the 1977 Topps rookie card of Joe Sambito.
How many cards are in the 1977 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1 through 660 with none skipped and distributed as a single series. No card carries a catalogued print variation, so the base set and the master set are the same 660 cards.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.