1979 Topps #509 Mario Mendoza
About Mario Mendoza
Mendoza is shown with the Pirates on #509, though they traded him to Seattle at the Winter Meetings on December 5, 1978, after a year in which he hit .218 and filled in at second and third base. Odell Jones and Rafael Vasquez went with him, and the deal, which he had requested, sent Enrique Romo, Tom McMillan and Rick Jones to Pittsburgh.
Mario Mendoza was a Mexican shortstop who played nine major league seasons, 1974 through 1982, with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. Pittsburgh bought his contract from the Mexico City Diablos Rojos after he caught their eye in 1970 with his ability to pick grounders. He debuted April 26, 1974, as a pinch runner for Willie Stargell and scored the tying run in a 4-3 win over Houston. He started Game Three of the 1974 NLCS against the Dodgers. His career average was .215, and his name became the label for a .200 batting average, the Mendoza Line, a phrase George Brett used in a 1980 interview. After the majors he played seven more seasons in Mexico, hit .291 there, and was called Manos de Seda, Silk Hands, for his fielding. He managed in the minors and in the Mexican League, and was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 110 | 24 | 57 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: #244 Pittsburgh Pirates / Chuck Tanner
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #1 1978 Batting Leaders
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #28 Steve Brye
- #55 Willie Stargell
- #70 John Candelaria
- #92 Jim Bibby
- #117 Grant Jackson
- #147 Dave Hamilton
- #165 Frank Taveras
- #189 Eddie Whitson
- #208 Clarence Gaston
- #223 Kent Tekulve
- #264 Don Robinson
- #286 Duffy Dyer
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #509 card?
It is card #509 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mario Mendoza of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.