1978 Topps #35 Sparky Lyle
About Sparky Lyle
Lyle finished 1977 with 201 career saves after surpassing Ron Perranoski's major-league record of 179 for left-handers. His 1978 Yankees cards were Record Breakers #2 and regular issue #35. New York signed Rich Gossage that winter, and Lyle worked mostly in middle relief in 1978, recording 9 saves.
Sparky Lyle pitched all 899 games of his 16-season major league career in relief. He finished with 238 saves, a 2.88 ERA and a 99-76 record. The left-hander played for Boston, the Yankees, Texas, Philadelphia and the White Sox. Baltimore signed him in 1964, and Boston selected him in the first-year draft that November. Ted Williams described the slider to Lyle at spring training in 1966; Lyle worked out how to throw it and made it his principal pitch. With New York, he became the first American League reliever to win the Cy Young Award in 1977. He coauthored "The Bronx Zoo" with Peter Golenbock in 1979. From 1998 through 2012, he managed the Somerset Patriots, winning five Atlantic League championships.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 324 | 33 | 156 | 94 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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
More Sparky Lyle in this set: #2 Record Breakers
Team card: #282 New York Yankees Team
More New York Yankees cards:
- #2 Sparky Lyle
- #7 Reggie Jackson
- #16 Roy White
- #60 Thurman Munson
- #70 Rich Gossage
- #89 Ken Clay
- #114 Paul Blair
- #135 Ron Guidry
- #159 Lou Piniella
- #179 Dick Tidrow
- #200 Reggie Jackson
- #225 Don Gullett
- #250 Graig Nettles
- #309 Cliff Johnson
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #35 card?
It is card #35 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees.
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.