1978 Topps #383 Mario Mendoza
About Mario Mendoza
Mendoza's #383 comes after a 1977 in which he hit .198 for Pittsburgh and, on June 28, pitched two innings of a doubleheader against St. Louis. Short of pitchers, manager Chuck Tanner had started reliever Grant Jackson in the second game, and Jackson gave up ten runs. Mendoza retired Keith Hernandez on a line-drive double play, then allowed a three-run homer to Ken Reitz, leaving him with a 13.50 ERA.
Mario Mendoza was a Mexican shortstop who played nine major league seasons, 1974 through 1982, with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. Pittsburgh bought his contract from the Mexico City Diablos Rojos after he caught their eye in 1970 with his ability to pick grounders. He debuted April 26, 1974, as a pinch runner for Willie Stargell and scored the tying run in a 4-3 win over Houston. He started Game Three of the 1974 NLCS against the Dodgers. His career average was .215, and his name became the label for a .200 batting average, the Mendoza Line, a phrase George Brett used in a 1980 interview. After the majors he played seven more seasons in Mexico, hit .291 there, and was called Manos de Seda, Silk Hands, for his fielding. He managed in the minors and in the Mexican League, and was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 214 | 53 | 133 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 1 | 3 | 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: #606 Pittsburgh Pirates Team
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- #84 Kent Tekulve
- #138 Larry Demery
- #165 Rennie Stennett
- #190 John Candelaria
- #201 1977 Batting Leaders
- #204 1977 Stolen Base Leaders
- #207 1977 ERA Leaders
- #223 Bruce Kison
- #255 Jerry Reuss
- #283 Omar Moreno
- #308 Jim Rooker
- #323 Jim Fregosi
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #383 card?
It is card #383 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mario Mendoza of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.