1978 Topps #717 Nelson Briles
About Nelson Briles
Briles split 1977 between Texas and Baltimore, going 6-4 with a 4.33 ERA. His Orioles card was #717 in 1978 Topps. Injuries limited him to 54 1/3 innings in 1978. He finished 4-4 with a 4.64 ERA, and Baltimore released him on January 17, 1979.
Nelson Briles pitched fourteen major league seasons for St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Texas and Baltimore. A right-hander who worked as both a starter and reliever, he finished with a 129-112 record and a 3.44 ERA. He made 452 appearances and struck out 1,163 batters. He studied drama at Santa Clara University and later performed a Pittsburgh nightclub act featuring songs and jokes. After his playing career, Briles became a television commentator for the Pirates, Mariners and USA Network. He joined Pittsburgh's front office as director of corporate sales in 1986, founded the Pirates Alumni Association and directed the club's fantasy camp.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 96 | 6 | 47 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #96 Baltimore Orioles Team
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- #36 Eddie Murray
- #65 Ken Singleton
- #119 Denny Martinez
- #160 Jim Palmer
- #188 Al Bumbry
- #205 1977 Victory Leaders
- #211 Earl Weaver
- #237 Rich Dauer
- #262 Rudy May
- #287 Kiko Garcia
- #315 Mark Belanger
- #341 Mike Flanagan
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #717 card?
It is card #717 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nelson Briles of the Baltimore Orioles.
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.