1978 Topps #122 Dennis Eckersley
About Dennis Eckersley
#122 still shows Eckersley as an Indian, but on March 30, 1978 Cleveland sent him and catcher Fred Kendall to Boston for Rick Wise, Mike Paxton, Bo Diaz and Ted Cox. He arrived off a 14-13 season and his first All-Star Game, where he pitched two hitless innings at Yankee Stadium. Don Zimmer wanted a starter who could do for Boston what Tom Seaver did for Cincinnati, and Eckersley went 20-8 with a 2.99 ERA, 11-1 at Fenway Park. Nine of the wins followed a Red Sox loss, and he won four straight in the 12-2 finish that forced the playoff with New York.
Dennis Eckersley won 197 games and saved 390 over 24 seasons, 1975 to 1998, and was the first pitcher with both a 20-win season and a 50-save season. He started for his first 12 seasons, with Cleveland, Boston and the Chicago Cubs, who got him from the Red Sox for Bill Buckner on May 25, 1984, and reached their first postseason since 1945. After a 6-11 season in 1986 he checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholism, and he has been sober since January 1987. The Cubs traded him to Oakland on April 3, 1987, and Tony La Russa made him the closer when Jay Howell was hurt. He led the league with 45 saves in 1988 and saved all four games of the ALCS sweep of Boston, then gave up Kirk Gibson's World Series home run. In 1990 he walked four batters in 73 1/3 innings and posted a 0.61 ERA, and in 1992 he won the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards with 51 saves. He closed for St. Louis in 1996 and 1997, set up for Boston in 1998 and retired having appeared in more games, 1,071, than any pitcher before him. He borrowed his high leg kick from Juan Marichal and entered the Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,137 | 73 | 424 | 404 | 86 | 46 | 58 | 45 | 1 |
| SGC | 99 | 2 | 16 | 39 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 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 #122 card?
It is card #122 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dennis Eckersley of the Cleveland Indians.
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.