1978 Topps #488 Dan Spillner
About Dan Spillner
Spillner split 1978 between San Diego and Cleveland, going 4-1 with a 3.95 ERA and three saves. All 53 of his appearances came in relief, and he struck out 64 batters in 82 innings. His Topps #488 lists the Padres, though he finished the year with Cleveland.
Dan Spillner was a right-handed pitcher who worked twelve seasons in the majors, 1974 to 1985, for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. He began as a Padres starter, picked up his first win on May 23, 1974, and led the staff in strikeouts the next year. After three losing seasons as a Padres starter, he moved to the bullpen and later joined Cleveland. As an Indians starter in 1980 he went 16-11, and on August 20 he was two outs from a no-hitter against the White Sox before rookie Leo Sutherland singled. His best year as a reliever came in 1982, when he went 12-10 with a 2.49 ERA and 21 saves. He relied mostly on his fastball and gave up his share of home runs. His career record was 75-89 with a 4.21 ERA. He saved 50 games and struck out 878 batters in 556 appearances. At the plate he hit .077, which Bill James called the worst of any pitcher of the 1970s.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 153 | 46 | 83 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #488 card?
It is card #488 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dan Spillner of the San Diego Padres.
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.