1978 Topps #102 Matt Alexander
About Matt Alexander
Card #102 still prints Alexander with Oakland, but owner Charlie Finley released him on March 31, 1978. The Pirates added him on September 1, when rosters expanded, as manager Chuck Tanner had promised. In seven games for Pittsburgh he scored two runs and stole four bases without an at-bat.
Matt Alexander was a switch-hitting utility man who became the most prolific pinch runner in major-league history. Across nine seasons (1973-81) with the Cubs, Athletics and Pirates he played 374 games and had 168 at-bats, appearing as a pinch runner some 271 times and holding records of 91 stolen bases and 89 runs scored in that role. A Shreveport native, he played infield at Grambling State, hit .377 in both 1967 and 1968, and went in the second round of the 1968 draft to the Cubs, who signed him on Buck O'Neil's recommendation. Two years in the Navy followed. He debuted on August 23, 1973, pinch-running for Ron Santo and scoring the tying run. Chicago traded him to Oakland on April 28, 1975, and he later moved to Pittsburgh, where he won a ring with the 1979 World Series champions. Oakland announcer Monte Moore gave him the nickname The Scat.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 123 | 20 | 66 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 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: #577 Oakland Athletics Team
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- #139 Wayne Gross
- #163 Bill North
- #191 Rodney Scott
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- #261 Tim Hosley
- #298 Tony Armas
- #327 Rick Langford
- #353 Doug Bair
- #378 Bobby Winkles
- #406 Mike Jorgensen
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #102 card?
It is card #102 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Matt Alexander of the Oakland Athletics.
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.