1977 Topps #96 Lou Piniella
About Lou Piniella
On May 20, 1976, Piniella collided with Boston catcher Carlton Fisk at home plate trying to dislodge the ball, touching off a benches-clearing brawl in which he badly bruised his right hand. He later reinjured it punching a wall after making an out. In the ALCS that fall he went 3-for-11 against Kansas City. In 1977 the Yankees added veteran Jimmy Wynn as designated hitter, and Piniella, kept as insurance in case Wynn did not work out, requested a trade. His 1977 Topps card is #96, with the Yankees.
Lou Piniella signed with Cleveland in 1962 and was drafted away by the Washington Senators that fall, reaching the majors on September 4, 1964 as a 21-year-old pinch hitter for the Baltimore Orioles. Traded back to the Cleveland organization in 1966, he spent three seasons with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League before six late games with the Indians in 1968. The Seattle Pilots took him in that October's expansion draft and dealt him to Kansas City on April 1, 1969, where he became the first batter in Royals history, hit .282, and won American League Rookie of the Year. He made his only All-Star team as a Royal in 1972. Traded to the New York Yankees after 1973, he played eleven seasons in the Bronx and won World Series rings in 1977 and 1978. Nicknamed Sweet Lou for his swing, a name also used ironically for his temper, he last played in 1984 with 1,705 hits over 18 seasons. He later managed the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs, won the 1990 World Series with Cincinnati and guided the 2001 Mariners to 116 wins. Veterans Committee balloting has twice left him a single vote short; Seattle put him in the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2014.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 328 | 30 | 142 | 111 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 41 | 1 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #387 New York Yankees Team
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- #20 Graig Nettles
- #54 Sandy Alomar
- #71 Dock Ellis
- #123 Fred Stanley
- #148 Fran Healy
- #170 Thurman Munson
- #195 Ed Figueroa
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- #276 1976 A.L. Championship
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1977 Topps #96 card?
It is card #96 of the 660-card 1977 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees.
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.