1978 Topps #42 Jorge Orta
About Jorge Orta
Orta stayed at second base in 1978, playing 114 of his 117 games there. He hit .274 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI. His 115 hits came in 420 at-bats, and he scored 45 runs. Card #42 shows him with the White Sox.
Jorge Orta was a left-handed hitter born in Mazatlan, Mexico, who played 16 major-league seasons, 1972 to 1987, as a second baseman, outfielder and designated hitter for the White Sox, Indians, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Royals. He signed with Chicago out of the Mexican League and made the 1972 team out of spring training at shortstop without having played in the minors. He finished with 1,619 hits, a .278 average and 130 home runs, and was an All-Star in 1975 and 1980, though he did not appear in either game, a pulled hamstring keeping him out in 1975. On June 15, 1980 he tied the American League record with six hits in a game. In Game 6 of the 1985 World Series he pinch-hit for Kansas City leading off the ninth and was called safe at first by umpire Don Denkinger on a play that replays showed Todd Worrell had won. The Royals scored twice that inning and won the Series the next night. His father Pedro played in the Cuban and Mexican leagues.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 166 | 26 | 107 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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: #66 Chicago White Sox Team
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- #153 Steve Stone
- #182 Jim Spencer
- #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 #42 card?
It is card #42 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jorge Orta 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.