1978 Topps #556 Ed Armbrister
About Ed Armbrister
An offseason operation for a bone spur in his right elbow still hampered Armbrister's throwing in the spring of 1978, and the Reds sent him back to Indianapolis. Dave Collins became Cincinnati's spare outfielder, and Armbrister never returned to the major leagues. Card #556 shows him with the Reds.
Ed Armbrister was a Bahamian outfielder and pinch runner who spent all five of his major league seasons, 1973 to 1977, with the Cincinnati Reds of the Big Red Machine, hitting .245 with 4 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 224 games. His best-known play was a collision with Boston catcher Carlton Fisk in the tenth inning of Game 3 of the 1975 World Series. Armbrister bunted, the two collided at the plate, Fisk threw wildly to second, and umpire Larry Barnett ruled no interference; the Reds won 6-5. A scout found him painting his mother's house in Nassau, and he signed with Houston in late 1966. The Astros sent him to Cincinnati on November 29, 1971, in the trade that also brought Joe Morgan. The fourth Bahamian to reach the majors, he won rings in 1975 and 1976 and was inducted into the Bahamas National Hall of Fame in 2008. Back home he managed the Bahamian junior national team.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 118 | 7 | 57 | 44 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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: #526 Cincinnati Reds Team
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- #5 Pete Rose
- #20 Pete Rose
- #47 Jack Billingham
- #80 Ken Griffey
- #106 Bill Plummer
- #126 Paul Moskau
- #149 Dale Murray
- #180 Dave Concepcion
- #202 1977 Home Run Leaders
- #203 1977 RBI Leaders
- #220 Pedro Borbon
- #246 Dan Driessen
- #273 Fred Norman
- #276 Bill Bonham
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #556 card?
It is card #556 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ed Armbrister of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.