1979 Topps #318 Bob Welch
About Bob Welch
Welch went 7-4 with a 2.02 ERA in 111 1/3 innings for Los Angeles in 1978. He made 13 starts and recorded 3 saves. In Game 2 of the World Series, he struck out Reggie Jackson with 2 runners aboard to finish the Dodgers' victory. His rookie card followed as 1979 Topps #318.
Bob Welch was a right-handed pitcher who won 211 games in 17 seasons with the Dodgers and Athletics. His 27-6 record and 2.95 ERA for Oakland in 1990 earned the American League Cy Young Award. Both of his complete games that season were shutouts. Before professional baseball, he pitched for Eastern Michigan's 1976 College World Series runner-up team and played for the U.S. collegiate team in Japan. Los Angeles selected him 20th overall in the 1977 draft. In May 1980, he faced 27 batters in a 1-hit shutout of Atlanta, erasing Larvell Blanks's single with a double play. Welch made the All-Star team in 1980 and 1990 and pitched for the 1981 Dodgers and 1989 Athletics championship clubs. Oakland acquired him in a 3-team trade involving the Dodgers and Mets after the 1987 season. He documented his battle with alcoholism in Five O'Clock Comes Early, written with George Vecsey. Welch finished with a 3.47 ERA and 1,969 strikeouts in 3,092 innings. After retiring as a player, he coached Arizona's pitchers during their 2001 World Series championship season and the Netherlands' staff in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 368 | 40 | 148 | 128 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 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 1979 Topps #318 card?
It is card #318 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Welch of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Is 1979 Topps #318 a rookie card?
Yes - #318 is the 1979 Topps rookie card of Bob Welch.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.