1979 Topps #288 Milt Wilcox
About Milt Wilcox
Detroit fired Les Moss on June 12 to hire Sparky Anderson, with whom Wilcox had not gotten along in Cincinnati. Moved to the bullpen after two starts, he asked for a trade, then rejoined the rotation after the All-Star break and won 12 games, second on the staff to Jack Morris. On July 12 he was the scheduled starter of the Disco Demolition Night nightcap. Card #288 lists him with the Tigers.
Milt Wilcox was a right-handed starter whose 16-year career ran through the Reds, Indians, Cubs, Tigers and Mariners and peaked with Detroit's 1984 world championship club. Cincinnati chose him in the second round of the 1968 draft, 33rd overall, and he won his September 5, 1970 debut against San Diego, then won Game 3 of that year's NLCS and lost Game 2 of the World Series. A December 1971 trade to Cleveland for Ted Uhlaender gave him a rotation spot, but a torn shoulder muscle and tendinitis began a slide that ended with the Cubs and the minors. Detroit bought his contract in June 1976, and a winter of bowling helped restore his arm. He won 12 or 13 games a year from 1978 through 1982 and came within one out of a perfect game against the White Sox on April 15, 1983, before Jerry Hairston singled. He won 17 games in 1984, then won the ALCS clincher and Game 3 of the World Series. Shoulder surgery and an 0-8 stop with Seattle ended his career in 1986.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 60 | 5 | 35 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #66 Detroit Tigers / Les Moss
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #4 1978 Stolen Base Leaders
- #33 Dave Rozema
- #80 Jason Thompson
- #93 Phil Mankowski
- #123 Lou Whitaker
- #151 John Hiller
- #176 Aurelio Rodriguez
- #196 Steve Kemp
- #217 Steve Dillard
- #231 Johnny Wockenfuss
- #251 Jack Morris
- #272 Tim Corcoran
- #316 Milt May
- #343 Ed Glynn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #288 card?
It is card #288 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Milt Wilcox 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.