1978 Topps #295 Bill Lee
About Bill Lee
Card #295 shows Lee with Boston, although his 1978 ended in conflict. Manager Don Zimmer sent him to the bullpen, and Lee briefly left the team after a 10-9 win over California on June 12. He finished 10-10 with a 3.46 ERA in 28 games, and during the stretch run against the Yankees Zimmer refused to pitch him.
Bill Lee was a left-handed pitcher who worked for the Boston Red Sox from 1969 to 1978 and the Montreal Expos from 1979 to 1982, finishing 119-90 with a 3.62 ERA. A USC product on the 1968 College World Series winner, he lacked a good fastball and leaned on off-speed pitches, including his own slow, arcing take on the eephus that he called the Leephus pitch. Used almost entirely in relief for four seasons, he moved into the rotation in 1973, went 17-11 and made the American League All-Star team, then won 17 games in each of the next two years. He started two games of the 1975 World Series against Cincinnati. He was nicknamed Spaceman by former Red Sox infielder John Kennedy, and his outspoken, countercultural opinions were frequently recorded in the press. A feud with manager Don Zimmer led to his trade to Montreal after 1978, and he was released by the Expos in 1982 after a one-game walkout over the release of Rodney Scott. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 181 | 36 | 97 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #424 Boston Red Sox Team
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #12 Don Aase
- #40 Carl Yastrzemski
- #63 Don Zimmer
- #83 Bob Montgomery
- #105 Reggie Cleveland
- #125 George Scott
- #155 Butch Hobson
- #186 Bob Stanley
- #202 1977 Home Run Leaders
- #208 1977 Leading Firemen
- #216 Mike Paxton
- #245 Rick Burleson
- #270 Carlton Fisk
- #320 Fred Lynn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #295 card?
It is card #295 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Lee of the Boston Red Sox.
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.