1978 Topps #212 Mike Caldwell
About Mike Caldwell
Injuries to Bill Travers and Moose Haas put Caldwell in the Milwaukee rotation in 1978, and he made 34 starts. On July 7 he and the Brewers shut out the Yankees 6-0, beating Ron Guidry in a season in which Guidry went 25-3. Over five starts against New York that year Caldwell posted a 0.64 ERA. Topps card #212 shows him with the Brewers.
Mike Caldwell was a left-handed sinkerballer who pitched 14 big-league seasons for the Padres, Giants, Reds and Brewers. He came out of Tarboro, North Carolina, and North Carolina State, where he went 32-10 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1971. San Diego took him in the 12th round of the 1971 draft and he reached the majors that September. After his years with the Giants and a run of trades, he landed in Milwaukee. In 1978 he went 22-9 with a 2.36 ERA and 23 complete games, finished second to Ron Guidry for the Cy Young Award and was named American League Comeback Player of the Year. He reached double figures in wins six straight years for the Brewers and won two games in the 1982 World Series against St. Louis, the first a complete-game shutout. He finished 137-130 with a 3.81 ERA. Daniel Okrent's Nine Innings says his unshaven face and total absence of a smile earned him the nickname Mr. Warmth.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 86 | 7 | 48 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1978 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #328 Milwaukee Brewers Team
More Milwaukee Brewers cards:
- #24 Don Money
- #51 Charlie Moore
- #77 Ed Kirkpatrick
- #95 Jamie Quirk
- #108 Von Joshua
- #133 Jerry Augustine
- #154 Cecil Cooper
- #173 Robin Yount
- #243 Bob McClure
- #265 Sal Bando
- #303 Sam Hinds
- #355 Bill Travers
- #376 Jim Wohlford
- #391 Larry Haney
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #212 card?
It is card #212 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Caldwell of the Milwaukee Brewers.
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.