1979 Topps #543 Kiko Garcia
About Kiko Garcia
Doug DeCinces missed a month early in 1979 and Belanger lost time to injury, and Garcia moved into the lineup, finishing with career highs of 126 games, 103 hits and five home runs. His nine triples led the club. Manager Earl Weaver rested him for Belanger's glove late in games with a lead. Garcia went 3-for-11 with two RBIs in the ALCS win over California. This is card #543.
Kiko Garcia was an infielder who spent his best years with the Baltimore Orioles, taking over at shortstop from Mark Belanger in 1979 and hitting .400 in that fall's World Series. Alfonso Rafael Garcia was born in Martinez, California, and got his nickname from his grandmother when he was a small boy. He played quarterback and wide receiver at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord before Baltimore drafted him in the third round in 1971. He reached the majors in September 1976. In the 1979 World Series against Pittsburgh he went 4-for-4 with four RBIs in Game 3, including a bases-loaded triple that chased John Candelaria. Chronic back trouble hampered him from 1979 onward and he hit .199 in 1980. The Orioles traded him to Houston on April 1, 1981, for outfielder Chris Bourjos, and he backed up Craig Reynolds there for two seasons. He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in 1983, hit .345 at Portland, and was a utility man on the pennant winners, batting .288 in 84 games. His last game came in 1985. He later ran a batting cage business in Pleasanton and coached girls fastpitch in Northern California.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 79 | 7 | 21 | 23 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 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: #689 Baltimore Orioles / Earl Weaver
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #10 Lee May
- #37 Joe Kerrigan
- #65 Mark Belanger
- #91 Terry Crowley
- #102 Mike Anderson
- #119 Don Stanhouse
- #160 Mike Flanagan
- #188 Pat Kelly
- #206 Sammy Stewart
- #211 Denny Martinez
- #237 Billy Smith
- #262 Nelson Briles
- #287 Andres Mora
- #314 Larry Harlow
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #543 card?
It is card #543 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Kiko Garcia of the Baltimore Orioles.
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.