1977 Topps #376 Nino Espinosa
About Nino Espinosa
Espinosa opened 1977 in middle relief, then beat the Cubs 4-1 on April 17 in his first start of the year, a complete game. His 10 wins led the Mets and his 3.42 ERA topped their qualifiers. On September 14 in Philadelphia he retired the last 17 batters, beat Steve Carlton 1-0 and drove in the only run himself. His #376 is his rookie card, issued after his 4-4 rookie season in 1976.
Nino Espinosa was a Dominican right-hander known for pinpoint control, who held down a rotation spot with the New York Mets in 1977 and 1978 before a trade sent him to the Philadelphia Phillies. Born Arnulfo Acevedo in Villa Altagracia, he became Espinosa in the United States when the signing paperwork took his mother's surname as his last name. He signed with the Mets on September 30, 1970, at 17, after winning games for his brother's team in Brooklyn's Pan American League, and debuted as a September 1974 call-up. He credited Tom Seaver with the tip to bend his back knee, which kept his pitches down. For his career he went 44-55 with a 4.17 ERA for the Mets, Phillies and, briefly in 1981, the Toronto Blue Jays. In winter ball he pitched for Aguilas Cibaenas, and in the 1979 Caribbean Series he became the first pitcher to throw consecutive shutouts. A shoulder injury ended his career. He was released by Philadelphia in 1981, tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983, scouted in the Dominican Republic and died of a heart attack on December 24, 1987, at age 34.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 100 | 11 | 59 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1977 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #259 New York Mets Team
More New York Mets cards:
- #6 1976 Strikeout Leaders
- #44 Bud Harrelson
- #65 Skip Lockwood
- #94 Craig Swan
- #119 John Stearns
- #150 Tom Seaver
- #172 John Milner
- #201 Ed Kranepool
- #225 Bob Apodaca
- #246 Mike Vail
- #281 Roy Staiger
- #300 Jerry Koosman
- #329 Ron Hodges
- #352 Mike Phillips
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1977 Topps #376 card?
It is card #376 of the 660-card 1977 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nino Espinosa of the New York Mets.
Is 1977 Topps #376 a rookie card?
Yes - #376 is the 1977 Topps rookie card of Nino Espinosa.
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.