1978 Topps #490 Amos Otis
About Amos Otis
Amos Otis played 140 games in the outfield for Kansas City in 1977, batting .251 with 17 home runs. He had 78 RBI and 23 stolen bases. In the ALCS, which the Yankees won 3-2, he went 2-for-16. After a rainout on September 12, he fed eight stranded boys and took them home for the night. His 1978 Topps card is #490, and it shows him with the Royals.
Amos Otis was a center fielder who played seventeen major league seasons from 1967 to 1984, mostly with the Kansas City Royals. Originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1965, he was drafted by the New York Mets the following year and broke in with New York. A December 1969 trade then sent him to Kansas City for third baseman Joe Foy, a deal that turned heavily in the Royals' favor. Otis became the club's starting center fielder for most of the 1970s, making five All-Star teams and winning three Gold Gloves behind his speed. He twice led the American League in doubles and once in stolen bases, finishing his career with 341 steals. He helped the Royals to their first division title in 1976 and their first pennant in 1980, batting .478 with three home runs in that year's World Series. He closed his career with Pittsburgh in 1984, later worked as a hitting instructor, and was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 107 | 15 | 51 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: #724 Kansas City Royals Team
More Kansas City Royals cards:
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- #46 Al Cowens
- #73 Andy Hassler
- #100 George Brett
- #129 Jim Colborn
- #157 Pete LaCock
- #183 Doug Bird
- #204 1977 Stolen Base Leaders
- #205 1977 Victory Leaders
- #218 Marty Pattin
- #248 Frank White
- #274 Freddie Patek
- #299 Whitey Herzog
- #331 Mark Littell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #490 card?
It is card #490 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Amos Otis of the Kansas City Royals.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
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.