1979 Topps #157 U.L. Washington
About U.L. Washington
Beginning July 31, 1978, Washington started 19 of 20 games for Kansas City as injuries opened work in the infield. He filled in at shortstop and second base while Freddie Patek, Frank White and George Brett missed time. Washington hit .264 with 12 steals in 69 games that season. His Royals card in 1979 Topps carried #157.
U.L. Washington was a switch-hitting shortstop for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos and Pittsburgh Pirates over 11 major-league seasons. His older brother James, a Royals stadium usher, helped arrange the tryout that brought him into the club's Baseball Academy. Washington learned to hit left-handed in instructional ball after struggling against sliders at Triple-A Omaha. His infield single with 2 outs kept the pennant-clinching 1980 ALCS rally alive for George Brett's 3-run homer. He then started all 6 World Series games and batted .273 against Philadelphia. In 1982 he hit .286 with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs; the next year he stole 40 bases. The toothpick he carried while playing began as an alternative to chewing tobacco and followed his father's example. He finished with 703 hits and 132 steals.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 81 | 2 | 29 | 29 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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: #451 Kansas City Royals / Whitey Herzog
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- #218 Dennis Leonard
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- #273 Jerry Terrell
- #298 Rich Gale
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- #389 Joe Zdeb
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #157 card?
It is card #157 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing U.L. Washington of the Kansas City Royals.
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.