1979 Topps #648 Lou Piniella
About Lou Piniella
For the 1978 Yankees, Piniella batted .314 with 148 hits and 69 RBI. In Game 4 of that fall's World Series, his two-out single in the 10th inning drove in the winning run against Los Angeles. His 1979 Topps card, #648, kept him with New York; he hit .297 that season.
Lou Piniella signed with Cleveland in 1962 and was drafted away by the Washington Senators that fall, reaching the majors on September 4, 1964 as a 21-year-old pinch hitter for the Baltimore Orioles. Traded back to the Cleveland organization in 1966, he spent three seasons with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League before six late games with the Indians in 1968. The Seattle Pilots took him in that October's expansion draft and dealt him to Kansas City on April 1, 1969, where he became the first batter in Royals history, hit .282, and won American League Rookie of the Year. He made his only All-Star team as a Royal in 1972. Traded to the New York Yankees after 1973, he played eleven seasons in the Bronx and won World Series rings in 1977 and 1978. Nicknamed Sweet Lou for his swing, a name also used ironically for his temper, he last played in 1984 with 1,705 hits over 18 seasons. He later managed the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs, won the 1990 World Series with Cincinnati and guided the 2001 Mariners to 116 wins. Veterans Committee balloting has twice left him a single vote short; Seattle put him in the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2014.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 199 | 8 | 93 | 60 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1979 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #626 New York Yankees / Bob Lemon
More New York Yankees cards:
- #5 1978 Victory Leaders
- #7 1978 ERA Leaders
- #8 1978 Leading Firemen
- #16 Fred Stanley
- #35 Ed Figueroa
- #60 Mickey Rivers
- #89 Dick Tidrow
- #114 Cliff Johnson
- #140 Don Gullett
- #159 Roy White
- #179 Jim Beattie
- #202 Ron Guidry
- #225 Rich Gossage
- #250 Willie Randolph
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #648 card?
It is card #648 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees.
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.