1978 Topps #89 Ken Clay
About Ken Clay
Clay opened 1978 in a spring contest with Jim Beattie and Gil Patterson for a Yankees roster spot, and kept it all year apart from a 21-day stay on the disabled list. He went 3-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 28 games, then relieved in Game 1 of the ALCS with the bases loaded in the sixth and gave up no hit the rest of the way for the save. His rookie card is #89 in the 1978 Topps set, with the Yankees.
Ken Clay was a right-handed pitcher who won two World Series rings with the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978, then pitched for the Texas Rangers in 1980 and the Seattle Mariners in 1981. A Lynchburg, Virginia, native, he was the Yankees' second-round pick in 1972 out of E. C. Glass High School and was called up in early June 1977 from Syracuse, where he had gone 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA. On June 17 at Fenway Park he came in with two out in the first inning after Catfish Hunter allowed four home runs, and held Boston scoreless through the fourth. New York traded him to Texas on August 14, 1980, for Gaylord Perry, and a trade that winter sent him on to Seattle. He finished 10-24 with a 4.68 ERA in 111 games, and died in 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 162 | 30 | 98 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #89 card?
It is card #89 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ken Clay of the New York Yankees.
Is 1978 Topps #89 a rookie card?
Yes - #89 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Ken Clay.
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.