1978 Topps #182 Jim Spencer
About Jim Spencer
Chicago sent Spencer and Tommy Cruz to the Yankees on December 12, 1977, for Stan Thomas and cash. Backing up Chris Chambliss, he hit .227 with seven home runs in 71 games and reached his first postseason, going 2 for 12 in four World Series games against the Dodgers. Card #182 still lists him with the Chicago White Sox.
Jim Spencer was a left-handed first baseman who played 15 major-league seasons, 1968 to 1982, with the Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees and Athletics. As a boy he asked Brooks Robinson for fielding tips and was told to keep his glove down near the dirt, and he retired with the highest lifetime fielding percentage of any first baseman. His grandfather, Ben Spencer, had a brief stint in the outfield for the 1913 Washington Senators. Out of Andover High School in suburban Baltimore, he was the Angels' first pick, 11th overall, in the first amateur draft in June 1965. In 1968 he led the Texas League in runs, home runs, RBIs and total bases for El Paso, shared MVP honors and earned a September call-up. He finished with a .250 average, 146 home runs and 599 RBIs. In 1980 he signed a four-year Yankees contract carrying a stipulation that became known as the Spencer Clause. A spring 1981 trade to Pittsburgh for Jason Thompson was voided by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, and on May 20 the Yankees sent him to Oakland with Tom Underwood. The A's released him early in 1982. He died of a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale on February 10, 2002, at 54, the night after playing first base in a charity game.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 142 | 20 | 89 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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: #66 Chicago White Sox Team
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- #42 Jorge Orta
- #98 Jim Essian
- #127 Chet Lemon
- #153 Steve Stone
- #213 Alan Bannister
- #231 Wayne Nordhagen
- #251 Don Kirkwood
- #272 Royle Stillman
- #288 Dave Hamilton
- #316 Henry Cruz
- #329 John Verhoeven
- #361 Chris Knapp
- #395 Jim Hughes
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #182 card?
It is card #182 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim Spencer of the Chicago White Sox.
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.