1978 Topps #43 Bill Atkinson
About Bill Atkinson
Atkinson's one full season in Montreal came in 1977, when he went 7-2 with a 3.35 ERA and seven saves. In 1978 he went 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA for the Expos. He also spent time at Triple-A Denver, going 1-3 with a 7.41 ERA in 23 games. Card #43 shows him with Montreal and is recognised as his rookie card.
Bill Atkinson was a 5 ft 7 in right-handed reliever from Chatham, Ontario, who pitched four seasons for the Montreal Expos, 1976 to 1979, and went 11-4 with a 3.42 ERA and 11 saves. The Expos signed him as an amateur free agent on October 4, 1971, and he worked up through Jamestown, West Palm Beach, Quebec, Memphis and Denver. He debuted on September 18, 1976, against the St. Louis Cardinals at Jarry Park, entering the first game of a doubleheader in the fourth inning with Montreal down 4-0 and throwing three scoreless innings. In 1979 he went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 10 games, his last work for Montreal. The Chicago White Sox purchased him on December 12, 1979, and he pitched in their system through 1983 without returning to the majors. He went home to Chatham and played senior baseball there until 1999.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 139 | 19 | 86 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 3 | 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: #244 Montreal Expos Team
More Montreal Expos cards:
- #15 Tony Perez
- #72 Andre Dawson
- #97 Stan Bahnsen
- #120 Gary Carter
- #185 Ellis Valentine
- #221 Chris Speier
- #269 Wayne Twitchell
- #294 Larry Parrish
- #321 Santo Alcala
- #348 Del Unser
- #374 Jose Morales
- #399 Pete Mackanin
- #414 Darold Knowles
- #425 Steve Rogers
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #43 card?
It is card #43 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Atkinson of the Montreal Expos.
Is 1978 Topps #43 a rookie card?
Yes - #43 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Bill Atkinson.
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.