1978 Topps #374 Jose Morales
About Jose Morales
The Twins purchased Morales on waivers in March 1978, and manager Gene Mauch, his skipper in Montreal, said his position was 'bat.' He hit .314 in a career-high 242 at-bats and led the American League with 15 pinch hits. The #374 card in that year's set still shows him with the Expos.
Jose Morales was a right-handed pinch-hitter and designated hitter who played 12 major league seasons from 1973 to 1984 with the Athletics, Expos, Twins, Orioles and Dodgers. Born in Frederiksted, St. Croix, he signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1963 and spent ten summers in the minors, where he led four leagues in errors as a catcher. Oakland called him up in August 1973 and sold him to Montreal that September. He appeared in the field in 104 of his 733 games, and first base was his most frequent position. He led his league in pinch hits four times and set a single-season record of 25 in 1976, a mark that stood until John Vander Wal collected 28 in 1995. He hit .287 for his career with 26 home runs and 207 RBI. His only postseason appearance came in the 1983 NLCS with the Dodgers. He also played more than two decades of Puerto Rican winter ball and later worked as a batting instructor for several organizations.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Print variations
Two states of #374 are tracked individually: 374a - Black Stitches Over Red Laces and 374b - Red Laces Only. The difference is on the front of the card (ink color).
States catalogued by the Trading Card Database; each is tracked here individually.
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Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 374a - Black Stitches Over Red Laces | |||||||||
| PSA | 93 | 32 | 33 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 374b - Red Laces Only | |||||||||
| PSA | 36 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Not designated by PSA | |||||||||
| PSA | 61 | 5 | 37 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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. Where a grader registers a variation separately its population is listed under that variation; PSA slabs whose label names no variation are listed as not designated, while SGC slabs whose label names no variation are counted under 374a - Black Stitches Over Red Laces.
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Related cards
Team card: #244 Montreal Expos Team
More Montreal Expos cards:
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- #43 Bill Atkinson
- #72 Andre Dawson
- #97 Stan Bahnsen
- #120 Gary Carter
- #185 Ellis Valentine
- #221 Chris Speier
- #269 Wayne Twitchell
- #294 Larry Parrish
- #321 Santo Alcala
- #348 Del Unser
- #399 Pete Mackanin
- #414 Darold Knowles
- #425 Steve Rogers
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #374 card?
It is card #374 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jose Morales of the Montreal Expos.
Is there a third #374 Jose Morales state?
One published sheet study reports a third printing with black stitching only and no red. The Trading Card Database lists only the two states tracked here, so the third is not tracked.
Does 1978 Topps #374 have variations?
Yes. Two states are catalogued and tracked individually: 374a - Black Stitches Over Red Laces (Black stitching printed over the red laces of the baseball icon that shows his position - one of two states, and no published source says which is more common) and 374b - Red Laces Only (Red laces only on the baseball icon that shows his position, with no black stitching over them - one of two states, and no published source says which is more common). Owning any one of them fills the #374 slot; the master set counts each state.
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.