1978 Topps #197 Nino Espinosa
About Nino Espinosa
Joe Torre handed Espinosa the ball at 1978 spring training and told him he was one of his five starters, the first time the pitcher entered a year with his place secure. He stood 5-2 with a 3.33 ERA at the end of May, then went 6-13 the rest of the way. He finished 11-15 with a 4.73 ERA and allowed more earned runs than any other National League pitcher. His #197 carries the Mets.
Nino Espinosa was a Dominican right-hander known for pinpoint control, who held down a rotation spot with the New York Mets in 1977 and 1978 before a trade sent him to the Philadelphia Phillies. Born Arnulfo Acevedo in Villa Altagracia, he became Espinosa in the United States when the signing paperwork took his mother's surname as his last name. He signed with the Mets on September 30, 1970, at 17, after winning games for his brother's team in Brooklyn's Pan American League, and debuted as a September 1974 call-up. He credited Tom Seaver with the tip to bend his back knee, which kept his pitches down. For his career he went 44-55 with a 4.17 ERA for the Mets, Phillies and, briefly in 1981, the Toronto Blue Jays. In winter ball he pitched for Aguilas Cibaenas, and in the 1979 Caribbean Series he became the first pitcher to throw consecutive shutouts. A shoulder injury ended his career. He was released by Philadelphia in 1981, tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983, scouted in the Dominican Republic and died of a heart attack on December 24, 1987, at age 34.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 112 | 21 | 72 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #356 New York Mets Team
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- #69 Mike Vail
- #109 Joe Torre
- #134 Steve Henderson
- #147 Lee Mazzilli
- #171 Pat Zachry
- #229 Leo Foster
- #277 Bruce Boisclair
- #304 John Milner
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #197 card?
It is card #197 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nino Espinosa of the New York Mets.
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.