1978 Topps #618 Tommy Helms
About Tommy Helms
Tommy Helms split 1977 between Pittsburgh and Boston, hitting .225 in 36 games. The Pirates released him on June 14, and a week later he signed with the Red Sox, the club shown on his 1978 Topps #618. His last major-league game came October 1, when Bernie Carbo pinch-hit for him in the ninth. Boston released him in spring training on March 25, 1978.
Tommy Helms played second base, third base and shortstop for Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh and Boston during a 14-season major-league career. Growing up in North Carolina, he served as batboy for a semipro team managed by his father. Cincinnati signed him in 1959, and he advanced through Palatka, Topeka, Macon and San Diego before reaching the Reds in September 1964. Helms finished with 1,342 hits and a .269 average in 1,435 games. He hit 34 home runs and drove in 477 runs. His postseason appearances came with the 1970 Reds: he had three hits in 11 at-bats in the NLCS sweep of Pittsburgh and four in 18 against Baltimore in the World Series. After his playing career, he coached for Texas in 1981 and 1982 and returned to Cincinnati's staff in 1983. As interim manager he went 12-15 during Pete Rose's 1988 suspension and 16-21 after replacing Rose in 1989. The Reds inducted Helms into their Hall of Fame in 1979.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 96 | 16 | 55 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #618 card?
It is card #618 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tommy Helms of the Boston Red Sox.
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.