1979 Topps #661 Bruce Kison
About Bruce Kison
Pittsburgh's additions of Bert Blyleven and Don Robinson put Kison in the bullpen to start 1978. His first start came July 17, and from August 17 to the end of the year he went 4-3 with a 2.50 ERA in seven starts. He ended at 6-6 with a 3.19 ERA in 28 games, 11 of them starts. His 1979 Topps card is #661.
Bruce Kison was a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-79), California Angels (1980-84) and Boston Red Sox (1985), known as The Whip for his sidearm delivery and fearless approach on the mound. As a rookie he relieved in Game 4 of the 1971 World Series and threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Baltimore, and he collected a second ring with Pittsburgh in 1979. Shoulder trouble moved him between the bullpen and the rotation for years, and he rebuilt his delivery into a three-quarters motion in the 1973-74 offseason. His best season came in 1976, with 14 wins and a 3.08 ERA. He signed a five-year contract with the Angels after 1979, started Game 2 of the 1982 ALCS, and finished 115-88 with 1,073 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA over 15 seasons. He later coached for Kansas City and Baltimore and scouted for the Orioles.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 69 | 1 | 38 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: #244 Pittsburgh Pirates / Chuck Tanner
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #1 1978 Batting Leaders
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #28 Steve Brye
- #55 Willie Stargell
- #70 John Candelaria
- #92 Jim Bibby
- #117 Grant Jackson
- #147 Dave Hamilton
- #165 Frank Taveras
- #189 Eddie Whitson
- #208 Clarence Gaston
- #223 Kent Tekulve
- #264 Don Robinson
- #286 Duffy Dyer
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #661 card?
It is card #661 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bruce Kison of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.