1979 Topps #305 Willie Montanez
About Willie Montanez
Montanez was hitting .234 with five home runs and 47 RBI for the Mets in 1979 when they sent him to the Texas Rangers for two players to be named later. After the trade he hit .319 with eight home runs for Texas. Card #305 is a Mets issue. In the offseason he went to the Padres in the Gaylord Perry trade.
Willie Montanez was a left-handed first baseman and outfielder from Catano, Puerto Rico, one of the two most flamboyant personalities of 1970s baseball, along with Tito Fuentes. He flipped his bat like a baton, ended his swings with a high, circular finish like a matador twirling a sword, and was labeled a hot dog by critics, a tag he disputed. The Cardinals signed him in 1965, the Angels took him in the Rule 5 draft, and he made his debut as a pinch-runner on April 12, 1966. He reached the Phillies in 1970 as a player to be named in the Curt Flood trade. He played for the Phillies, Giants, Braves, Mets, Rangers, Padres, Expos and Pirates, and retired after 1982 with 139 home runs and a .275 average over 1,632 games.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 105 | 25 | 66 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1979 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #82 New York Mets / Joe Torre
More New York Mets cards:
- #7 1978 ERA Leaders
- #21 Kevin Kobel
- #46 Ron Hodges
- #69 Elliott Maddox
- #109 Joel Youngblood
- #148 Bruce Boisclair
- #172 Mike Bruhert
- #197 Bob Apodaca
- #205 John Stearns
- #229 Doug Flynn
- #277 Tom Grieve
- #334 Craig Swan
- #355 Lee Mazzilli
- #379 Dale Murray
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #305 card?
It is card #305 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Montanez of the New York Mets.
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.