1978 Topps #342 Aurelio Rodriguez
About Aurelio Rodriguez
A sprained-ankle slide into home on April 26, 1977 cost Rodriguez five weeks, and he shared third base with Phil Mankowski afterward, finishing at .219 with 10 home runs in 96 games. Card #342 in the 1978 Topps set carries the Tigers. In 1978 he batted .265, the best full-season mark of his career, and led the majors with a .987 fielding percentage at third, making 4 errors.
Aurelio Rodriguez, sometimes called "Chi Chi", was a Mexican-born third baseman who spent 17 major league seasons (1967-1983) with the Angels, Senators, Tigers, Padres, Yankees, White Sox and Orioles, hitting .237 with 124 home runs in 2,017 games. He built his reputation on defense: a powerful throwing arm, a career range factor at third base that ranks second in major league history, and 4,150 career assists at the position, fifth all-time at his retirement. He won his only Gold Glove in 1976, ending Brooks Robinson's long run of American League third base honors. In 1970 with Washington under manager Ted Williams, he set career highs in home runs and RBI. After retiring he managed from 1987 to 1997, mostly in the Mexican League, leading the Sultanes de Monterrey to the 1991 championship, and was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995. He died in Detroit in 2000 after being struck by a motorist.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 139 | 35 | 75 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #404 Detroit Tigers Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #342 card?
It is card #342 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Aurelio Rodriguez of the Detroit Tigers.
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.