1978 Topps #144 Jesse Jefferson
About Jesse Jefferson
Jefferson led the 1978 Blue Jays staff in innings with 211 2/3, starting 30 of his 31 games. He threw a career-high nine complete games, and two were his first major league shutouts, both three-hitters against Chicago. The record was 7-16 with a 4.38 ERA and 97 strikeouts. His #144 card is a Toronto issue.
Jesse Jefferson was a right-handed pitcher who worked nine seasons in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels, finishing 39-81 with a 4.81 ERA. Baltimore drafted him in the fourth round in 1968 out of Carver High School in Midlothian, Virginia, and he spent six seasons in the farm system before reaching the majors in 1973. Chicago acquired him for Tony Muser in June 1975, and Toronto took him in the 1976 expansion draft. He pitched for the Blue Jays from their first season, 1977, through 1980, and holds the club record for the most innings in a complete game, 12. His 1-0, 11-inning win over Oakland's Mike Norris on May 16, 1980, has been called the longest shutout duel between African-American pitchers in major league history. Pittsburgh claimed him on waivers in September 1980, and California signed him that winter. He died in Midlothian in 2011.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 176 | 28 | 110 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #626 Toronto Blue Jays Team
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- #85 Ron Fairly
- #103 Tom Murphy
- #121 Alvis Woods
- #169 Jerry Johnson
- #196 Bob Bailor
- #241 Pete Vuckovich
- #267 Doug Ault
- #293 Mike Willis
- #319 Alan Ashby
- #344 Sam Ewing
- #369 Tim Nordbrook
- #394 Roy Howell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #144 card?
It is card #144 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jesse Jefferson of the Toronto Blue Jays.
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.