1978 Topps #142 John Montefusco
About John Montefusco
In 1978 Montefusco made 36 starts for the Giants and finished 11-9 with a 3.81 ERA. He struck out 177 in 238 2/3 innings and also stole a base, the only one of his major league career. His #142 in the Topps set pictures him with San Francisco.
John Montefusco was a right-handed starter who pitched for the San Francisco Giants from 1974 to 1980, then for Atlanta, San Diego and the New York Yankees through 1986. Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, he did not start pitching until his senior year of high school and went to Brookdale Community College before the Giants signed him. He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat on September 3, 1974, and won National League Rookie of the Year in 1975 with 15 wins, a 2.88 ERA and 215 strikeouts. He pitched a no-hitter against Atlanta on September 29, 1976, the last by a Giant until 2009. His career record was 90-83 with a 3.54 ERA and 1,081 strikeouts. He was known as the Count, a play on the name Monte Cristo: a headline after an El Paso win called him the Count of Monty Amarillo, and announcer Al Michaels used the title after his Giants debut.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 113 | 26 | 70 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #142 card?
It is card #142 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Montefusco of the San Francisco Giants.
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.