1978 Topps #655 Lyman Bostock
About Lyman Bostock
Bostock signed with California for $2.3 million and opened 1978 so badly that he tried to return his April pay, then gave it to charity when the Angels refused. He hit .404 in June and posted a final line of .296 with 5 home runs and 71 RBI in 147 games. His last game was September 23 at Chicago, where he went 2-for-4 with a walk against the White Sox. Topps issued him as Angels card #655.
Lyman Bostock was a left-handed-hitting center fielder for the Minnesota Twins (1975-77) and California Angels (1978), a contact hitter who batted .311 over 526 major league games. Raised in Los Angeles after a childhood start in Birmingham, he played at Cal State Northridge and was taken by the Twins in the 26th round of the 1972 draft. His manager Gene Mauch ranked him second only to Rod Carew among hitters, and from 1976 to 1978 only Carew and Dave Parker posted a higher cumulative average among regulars. He made basket catches in the outfield, a habit that began with a borrowed left-hander's glove in boyhood. After 1977 he was chosen by 13 clubs in the free-agent draft and signed with the Angels. On September 23, 1978, a week before the season ended, he was shot in Gary, Indiana, while riding in his uncle's car, and died at 27. His 23 career home runs and 45 stolen bases came in four seasons.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 191 | 32 | 109 | 38 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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: #214 California Angels Team
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- #18 Bob Grich
- #48 Don Baylor
- #71 Terry Humphrey
- #115 Gary Nolan
- #150 Bobby Bonds
- #178 Dave Chalk
- #206 1977 Strikeout Leaders
- #207 1977 ERA Leaders
- #239 Dyar Miller
- #268 Gil Flores
- #291 Gary Ross
- #313 Andy Etchebarren
- #339 Mario Guerrero
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #655 card?
It is card #655 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lyman Bostock of the California Angels.
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.