1978 Topps #116 Tucker Ashford
About Tucker Ashford
Ashford began 1977 in Triple-A. After the Padres sold Doug Rader to Toronto on June 8 and traded Bobby Valentine a week later, he was recalled at the start of July. On July 5 he hit his first major-league home run, off Houston's Bo McLaughlin with two outs in the ninth to tie the game, then singled in the winning run in the twelfth. He won the third base job and hit .217 with three home runs and 24 RBI. #116 is his rookie card.
Tucker Ashford was a right-handed third baseman, the second overall pick of the January 1974 draft, taken by the San Diego Padres right behind Roy Smalley III. A Memphis native, he quarterbacked the Covington High School football team and was named the George W. Rulon Player of the Year in American Legion ball in 1973. He reached the majors in September 1976 and played parts of seven seasons through 1984 for the Padres, Rangers, Yankees, Mets and Royals, batting .218 with six home runs in 222 games. In the minors in 1981 he hit .300 with 17 home runs and 86 RBI to win the International League MVP award in the Yankees system. That October he appeared in the late innings of three Yankee games without batting. With the 1983 Mets, his first hit was his only career triple, and on July 13 against the Reds he made his only appearance as a catcher.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 177 | 48 | 94 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #116 card?
It is card #116 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tucker Ashford of the San Diego Padres.
Is 1978 Topps #116 a rookie card?
Yes - #116 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Tucker Ashford.
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.