1978 Topps #256 Joe Altobelli
About this card
This is one of the 25 manager cards. Team cards and manager cards are separate cards this year: every club has a team card, and every club except the Milwaukee Brewers has a manager card - George Bamberger was hired in late January 1978, too late to be included.
About Joe Altobelli
The Giants had gone 75-87 in Altobelli's first year, 1977. In March 1978 they sent seven players and $300,000 to Oakland for Vida Blue, who went 18-10 with a 2.79 ERA. On July 31 San Francisco (63-43) led Cincinnati by a half game. The club went 26-29 over the final two months and finished third at 89-73. The AP and UPI both named him National League Manager of the Year. #256 is his manager card.
Joe Altobelli was a left-handed first baseman and outfielder who played parts of three major-league seasons before a long managing career that peaked with the 1983 World Series title in Baltimore. Born in Detroit, he signed with Cleveland and hit .341 for Daytona Beach in 1951, including a 36-game hitting streak that stood as a Florida State League record for 59 years. He batted .210 with five home runs in 166 games for the Indians (1955, 1957) and Twins (1961). For Montreal he led the International League in 1960 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI. He then managed in the Orioles system, winning International League Manager of the Year at Rochester in 1971 and 1974. The Giants hired him in 1976. In 1983 he succeeded Earl Weaver in Baltimore, won 98 games, beat the White Sox 3-1 in the ALCS and the Phillies in five games in the World Series. He was fired on June 13, 1985, coached for the Yankees and Cubs, and later served Rochester as general manager and broadcaster; the Red Wings retired his number 26. He died in 2021.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 107 | 17 | 39 | 37 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 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: #82 San Francisco Giants Team
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- #8 Mike Sadek
- #34 Willie McCovey
- #62 Jim Barr
- #107 Ed Halicki
- #142 John Montefusco
- #167 Tim Foli
- #194 Derrel Thomas
- #215 Darrell Evans
- #236 Terry Whitfield
- #284 Randy Moffitt
- #312 Greg Minton
- #338 Dave Heaverlo
- #359 Marc Hill
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #256 card?
It is card #256 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Altobelli of the San Francisco Giants. This is one of the 25 manager cards. Team cards and manager cards are separate cards this year: every club has a team card, and every club except the Milwaukee Brewers has a manager card - George Bamberger was hired in late January 1978, too late to be included.
Is 1978 Topps #256 a rookie card?
Yes - #256 is a rookie card.
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.