1979 Topps #631 Jorge Orta
About Jorge Orta
Player-manager Don Kessinger made Orta the designated hitter in 1979, and he was at .212 with three home runs on June 27. Back at second base in mid-July he hit .313 with seven home runs and 22 RBI the rest of the way. His season ended at .262 with 11 homers, and after it he signed a five-year deal with Cleveland. Card #631 lists him with Chicago.
Jorge Orta was a left-handed hitter born in Mazatlan, Mexico, who played 16 major-league seasons, 1972 to 1987, as a second baseman, outfielder and designated hitter for the White Sox, Indians, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Royals. He signed with Chicago out of the Mexican League and made the 1972 team out of spring training at shortstop without having played in the minors. He finished with 1,619 hits, a .278 average and 130 home runs, and was an All-Star in 1975 and 1980, though he did not appear in either game, a pulled hamstring keeping him out in 1975. On June 15, 1980 he tied the American League record with six hits in a game. In Game 6 of the 1985 World Series he pinch-hit for Kansas City leading off the ninth and was called safe at first by umpire Don Denkinger on a play that replays showed Todd Worrell had won. The Royals scored twice that inning and won the Series the next night. His father Pedro played in the Cuban and Mexican leagues.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 83 | 7 | 42 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #404 Chicago White Sox / Don Kessinger
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #42 Ron Blomberg
- #88 Bob Molinaro
- #127 Thad Bosley
- #134 Alan Bannister
- #169 Bill Nahorodny
- #186 Eric Soderholm
- #216 Wilbur Wood
- #227 Steve Stone
- #242 Pablo Torrealba
- #266 Jim Willoughby
- #275 Junior Moore
- #283 Ken Kravec
- #309 Ralph Garr
- #333 Chet Lemon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #631 card?
It is card #631 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jorge Orta of the Chicago White Sox.
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.