1978 Topps #159 Lou Piniella
About Lou Piniella
Piniella hit .330 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI for the 1977 Yankees. He played 103 games, splitting his time among left field, right field and designated hitter from mid-season. He went 7-for-21 in the ALCS against Kansas City and 6-for-22 in the World Series, which New York won over the Dodgers in six games. His 1978 Topps card is #159.
Lou Piniella signed with Cleveland in 1962 and was drafted away by the Washington Senators that fall, reaching the majors on September 4, 1964 as a 21-year-old pinch hitter for the Baltimore Orioles. Traded back to the Cleveland organization in 1966, he spent three seasons with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League before six late games with the Indians in 1968. The Seattle Pilots took him in that October's expansion draft and dealt him to Kansas City on April 1, 1969, where he became the first batter in Royals history, hit .282, and won American League Rookie of the Year. He made his only All-Star team as a Royal in 1972. Traded to the New York Yankees after 1973, he played eleven seasons in the Bronx and won World Series rings in 1977 and 1978. Nicknamed Sweet Lou for his swing, a name also used ironically for his temper, he last played in 1984 with 1,705 hits over 18 seasons. He later managed the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs, won the 1990 World Series with Cincinnati and guided the 2001 Mariners to 116 wins. Veterans Committee balloting has twice left him a single vote short; Seattle put him in the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2014.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 371 | 24 | 174 | 109 | 26 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 0 |
| SGC | 17 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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 #159 card?
It is card #159 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees.
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.