1979 Topps #123 Lou Whitaker
About Lou Whitaker
Whitaker batted .285 with 58 RBIs in 139 Detroit games in 1978, winning AL Rookie of the Year with 21 of 28 first-place votes. On July 28 of that year, his first major-league homer, a 2-run shot off Seattle's Enrique Romo, gave Detroit a 4-3 ninth-inning victory. His Tigers card followed as #123 in 1979 Topps.
Lou Whitaker played 19 major-league seasons, all with Detroit, and formed the Tigers' double-play partnership with Alan Trammell. Detroit drafted him in the 5th round in 1975 as a third baseman, then moved him to second base under instructor Eddie Brinkman. His nickname, Sweet Lou, came from his swing while playing for Lakeland. Whitaker made 5 consecutive American League All-Star teams from 1983 through 1987, won 3 Gold Gloves and earned 4 Silver Slugger Awards. He hit .320 with 206 hits in 1983, then batted leadoff for Detroit's 1984 World Series champions. His power increased later in his career, reaching a personal best of 28 home runs in 1989. The left-handed hitter finished with a .276 average, 2,369 hits and 244 home runs. Detroit retired his No. 1 on August 6, 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · MLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 476 | 16 | 149 | 155 | 65 | 51 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| SGC | 36 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
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
- #80 Jason Thompson
- #93 Phil Mankowski
- #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 #123 card?
It is card #123 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lou Whitaker 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.