1979 Topps #216 Wilbur Wood
About Wilbur Wood
Wood pitched 168 innings for Chicago in 1978. That August, the Pirates and Brewers claimed him on waivers, but he chose to stay with the White Sox and pursue free agency after the season. His 1979 Topps card was #216.
Wilbur Wood grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts, starring as a pitcher, quarterback and hockey defenseman before signing with his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1960. Relying on a fastball and curveball, he pitched sparingly over parts of four seasons with Boston and two with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After he was named the International League's most outstanding pitcher in 1966, the Chicago White Sox acquired him, and knuckleball specialist Hoyt Wilhelm taught him to throw the pitch full time. Wood set a major league record with 88 appearances in 1968, including 2 starts. He moved into the rotation in 1971 and won 20 or more games four straight years, leading the American League in wins twice and in starts for four consecutive seasons. He pitched 17 seasons in the majors, three times an All-Star, before retiring after the 1978 season and settling back in the Boston area.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 77 | 12 | 44 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #216 card?
It is card #216 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox.
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.