1979 Topps #80 Jason Thompson
About Jason Thompson
On June 16, 1979, in a nationally televised NBC game, Thompson hit two home runs in a 4-2 loss, both off Angels right-hander Dave Frost. Earlier in the game he had sent a foul ball over the right-field roof and completely out of Tiger Stadium. He finished the year at .246 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI for the Tigers. Topps assigned his Tigers card #80.
Jason Thompson was a left-handed first baseman who hit 208 home runs in 11 seasons for the Detroit Tigers, California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos. The Dodgers drafted him in 1972, but he chose Cal State Northridge; the Tigers took him in the fourth round in 1975. He earned a reputation as one of the top fielding first basemen in the American League and led each league in total chances, in 1977 and 1984. With the Tigers he earned the nickname Roof Top for his ability to hit balls onto the right-field roof. Detroit traded him to the Angels for Al Cowens on May 27, 1980. The following spring the Angels sent him to Pittsburgh for Mickey Mahler and Ed Ott; the Pirates immediately dealt him to the Yankees, but Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided that trade. In 1982 he was an All-Star for the third time and hit 31 home runs with 101 RBI, becoming the third player in Pirates history to reach 100 RBI and 100 walks in a season. On June 26, 1984, he hit four home runs in a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, tying Ralph Kiner's franchise record. Traded to the Expos in spring training 1986, he lost his job to rookie Andres Galarraga, and knee injuries ended his career.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 77 | 17 | 37 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #66 Detroit Tigers / Les Moss
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #33 Dave Rozema
- #93 Phil Mankowski
- #123 Lou Whitaker
- #151 John Hiller
- #176 Aurelio Rodriguez
- #196 Steve Kemp
- #217 Steve Dillard
- #231 Johnny Wockenfuss
- #251 Jack Morris
- #272 Tim Corcoran
- #288 Milt Wilcox
- #316 Milt May
- #343 Ed Glynn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #80 card?
It is card #80 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jason Thompson of the Detroit Tigers.
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.