1978 Topps #519 Brian Downing
About Brian Downing
Topps #519 still pictures Downing with the White Sox, though he spent 1978 as the Angels catcher, hitting .255 with 7 home runs and 46 RBI. The move brought him back to Southern California, where he had played at Magnolia High School in Anaheim.
Brian Downing caught for the Chicago White Sox, became an outfielder and designated hitter with the California Angels, and finished with the Texas Rangers, playing 20 major league seasons from 1973 to 1992. After being cut from his high school team, he signed as an amateur free agent in August 1969 following an all-comers White Sox tryout. On the first pitch of his first big-league inning he wrecked his knee on a diving catch and landed on the 60-day disabled list. A trade to the Angels turned his career: after a winter of weight training and a changed batting stance he broke through in 1979. A broken ankle in 1980 moved him to the outfield, where he later set American League records for errorless games and for chances in an errorless season. He hit 20 or more home runs in six of seven seasons from 1982 to 1988, led the league with 106 walks in 1987, and retired with 2,099 hits, 275 home runs and 1,073 RBI. He was inducted into the California Angels Hall of Fame in 2009.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 90 | 6 | 61 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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: #66 Chicago White Sox Team
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- #182 Jim Spencer
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- #231 Wayne Nordhagen
- #251 Don Kirkwood
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #519 card?
It is card #519 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Brian Downing of the Chicago White 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.