1978 Topps #223 Bruce Kison
About Bruce Kison
Kison went 9-10 with a 4.90 ERA in 1977, his first losing season, and struck out a career-high 122 batters. A hangnail kept him from throwing his fastball and slider freely. On July 8 he hit Mike Schmidt with a pitch; Schmidt charged the mound and broke a finger in the fight. He was the Pirates' number two starter that year, behind Jerry Reuss. His 1978 Topps card is #223.
Bruce Kison was a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-79), California Angels (1980-84) and Boston Red Sox (1985), known as The Whip for his sidearm delivery and fearless approach on the mound. As a rookie he relieved in Game 4 of the 1971 World Series and threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Baltimore, and he collected a second ring with Pittsburgh in 1979. Shoulder trouble moved him between the bullpen and the rotation for years, and he rebuilt his delivery into a three-quarters motion in the 1973-74 offseason. His best season came in 1976, with 14 wins and a 3.08 ERA. He signed a five-year contract with the Angels after 1979, started Game 2 of the 1982 ALCS, and finished 115-88 with 1,073 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA over 15 seasons. He later coached for Kansas City and Baltimore and scouted for the Orioles.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 187 | 24 | 118 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 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: #606 Pittsburgh Pirates Team
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #28 Ed Ott
- #53 Phil Garner
- #84 Kent Tekulve
- #138 Larry Demery
- #165 Rennie Stennett
- #190 John Candelaria
- #201 1977 Batting Leaders
- #204 1977 Stolen Base Leaders
- #207 1977 ERA Leaders
- #255 Jerry Reuss
- #283 Omar Moreno
- #308 Jim Rooker
- #323 Jim Fregosi
- #383 Mario Mendoza
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #223 card?
It is card #223 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bruce Kison of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.