Ka-BOOM! The 1972 set is a big, mod, gaudy issue which has become a classic. The first time I ever encountered these was at my friend Karl's house in about 1980. His older brother Chris had a cardboard box in his closet with all sorts of detritus from his elementary school days in it, and among the treasures it contained were a few 1972s. I guess Karl figured it would be ok if I had some of them because that day I came into possession of Steve Braun, Jose Cardenal, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Mays, Reggie Cleveland and a few interesting looking 'In Action' cards. I remember being amazed at the time that these were really Topps baseball cards - I never thought such a relatively wild design was possible! For the longest time I only had a small amount until I got into high school and picked a few more up here and there at card shows and shops. It wasn't until I went to college that I began actually trying to assemble a set, and it wasn't until after I had graduated that I actually completed the set by I acquiring Jose Pagan In Action and the Twins Rookie Stars from the 6th series.
I think the 1972 set was the first one I was aware could be classified as 'expensive'. I can recall going to a flea market in Wallingford, CT and seeing one or two complete 1972 series for sale in a display case and the dealer telling me to basically keep going because they were very costly. It was also my first experience with 'high numbers' - I remember picking a bunch up at AJ's card shop in Vienna, VA and, at the time, quietly resenting having to pay a couple bucks for commons. Who knew?
1972 was the final year Topps issued a set solely by series. The set consists of 6 series, which were released sequentially between perhaps February and September. The 6th series may be the hardest 'high number' series to find since 1967 and unlike in previous years cards from the high series (and from the semi-high 5th series too, actually) have a distinct difference in appearance from the others in the set. They have a crisp, clearness in both the card design elements and the image that is lacking in the others. 1972 was also the first time since 1960 that packs didn't contain some sort of insert.
All cards of Texas Rangers players are paint jobs or images taken from angles which hide team logos as the club relocated from Washington to start the 1972 season and Topps wasn't able to show them in their new Ranger gear (although in previous sets - 1969, for example - later series did depict new or relocated clubs using pictures taken during their inaugural spring training sessions).
Card fronts feature a brightly-colored border which expands to become an arch along the top. The team name appears in the arch in 3D style lettering flanked by stars. The player's name appears in a white banner along the bottom. Player positions do not appear on card fronts.
Backs are printed in orange and black on gray. The upper right contains a baseball trivia question with the answer illustrated by a small cartoon.
Before moving on, it can't be overstated just how bold the design of the 1972 cards was, and remains. It was very much a case of the product mirroring its time.
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Wax packs contained 10 cards and sold for 10 cents each. Boxes contained 24 packs, and cases held 24 boxes. Some boxes, though seemingly not all, were marked by a sticker indicating which series they contained.
As much as the cards themselves, the wrappers were also very '70's in appearance. There was a single basic design which came in 7 different version. Four (above) advertised Topps' Candy Apple, Gold Rush, Big Buddy and Big Tooth candies. A fifth candy, Big Mouth On-a-Stick, was also featured but images are scarce - to the right is an identical ad on a 1972 Topps football wrapper. Finally, 2 wrappers had offers for some sort of baseball pennant - both the one to the right and another one for which an image could not be found. The poor quality of the image prevents determining anything more about the offer.
Grocery packs consisted of 3 wax packs overwrapped as a single package on a cardboard stiffening tray. These carried no MSRP but were likely priced at 30 cents or less in most locations.
The reverse of the cardboard tray contained some advertisement, but no image is currently available.
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Cello packs contained 27 cards and sold for 25 cents each. They were packed 24 per box. For the third and final time, cellos were inserted into small specially designed boxes for sale.
Some later series cellos were packaged in the familiar ball and bat wrapper that Topps would use exclusively for years beginning in 1973.
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Rack packs contained 54 cards and sold for 39 cents. As in most years, racks contained cards from more than one series, often 2 cells from one series, and one from another as in this example.
As usual, vending boxes of 500 cards were available.
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The 1972 Topps set contains 787 cards, the most yet in any set. Of these 787 cards, split across 6 series, 583 are basic player cards. The remainder belong to a number of subsets as broken out below.
A full checklist of the 1972 set, including printable formats, can be found at the Trading Card Database HERE.
Included among the 582 basic player cards are 10 players from the 1971 Topps All Star Rookie team. Each is designated by a small gold trophy on their card.
142 - Chris Chambliss, Indians 1B
703 - Doug Griffin, Red Sox 2B
165 - Chris Speier, Giants SS
244 - Steve Braun, Twins 3B
114 - Bill Buckner, Dodgers OF
62 - Angel Mangual, A's OF
690 - Willie Montanez, Phillies OF 380 - Earl Williams, Braves C
281 - Bill Parsons, Brewers RHP
99 - Ross Grimsley, Reds LHP
Series 1: 1-132
Each series was printed on a 264-card full sheet which was divided into 2 individual 'slits' or smaller, 132-card half sheets. In series 1, cards were arranged such that each individual slit consisted of 66 unique cards, each printed twice, in blocks of 33. The image above is somewhat rare in that it shows a full 264-card sheet before separation into individual slits.
Of the 132 unique cards in series 1, 92 are basic player cards (including three of the All Star Rookies above - Mangual, Grimsley and Buckner). It includes 40 cards from a variety of subsets, including one exclusive to series 1 (each series has precisely one unique subset) - League Leader cards.
Cards 85-96 depict the top 3 performers from each league in six statistical categories - HR, RBI, Batting Average, ERA, Strikeouts and Victories (aka Pitching) - from 1971. In the case of the National League Pitching Leaders, as shown, there was a 3 way tie for 2nd place so four players are featured. Card backs list the top 10 in each category. National League cards appear in green with yellow lettering and orange trim while American League cards are blue with white lettering and yellow trim.
Series 1 contains four team photo cards, including that of the Pirates (card 1) which differs in design from the others in that it features a "World Champions" banner on the front in recognition of their victory in the 1971 World Series. Card backs provide the clubs' all time batting and pitching leaders and pennant history (or, for newer clubs, a year-by-year won-loss record).
Included in series 1 are the team photo cards of the Pirates, Braves, Angels and Brewers.
Series 1 contains four manager cards including Billy Martin/Tigers, Red Schoendienst/Cardinals, Chuck Tanner/White Sox and Charlie Fox/Giants.
Card backs provide the manager's career professional managerial record.
As for Martin, it is unclear today whether the positioning of the middle finger on his left hand in the photo was intentional or not.
Series 1 includes six 3-player Rookie Stars cards featuring youngsters with little or no MLB experience. Included are cards of Phillies, Twins, Cubs, Red Sox, Astros and Yankees prospects.
Each series has 12 In Action cards, featuring action shots of a dozen (mostly) prominent players. Each card is numbered in the set immediately after the player's basic card. In series 1, these In Action cards appear as the even numbered cards from 32-54.
In series 1 card backs featured advertisements for the special contents of each 1972 series - 1&2 (4x), 3&4 (4x) and 5&6 (4x)
In the entirety of the 72 In action cards, the Astros, Brewers, Cardinals, Indians, Orioles and Rangers are not represented.
Featured on In Action cards in series 1 are:
Cleon Jones, Mets
Billy Martin, Tigers (the only manager in the set)
Jerry Johnson, Giants
Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox
Bob Barton, Padres
Tommy Davis, A's
Rick Wise, Phillies
Glenn Beckert, Cubs
John Ellis, Yankees
Willie Mays, Giants
Harmon Killebrew, Twins
Bud Harrelson, Mets
Series 1 includes the checklist cards for both Series 1 and Series 2.
All four Series 1 cards depicting members of the Chicago Cubs (Pizarro, Bonham, Beckert and James) can be found in incorrect versions where the coloring under the letters C and S in "Cubs" is green rather than the proper yellow.
A variation exists for the second series checklist. Those printed on the series 1 sheet (l) feature a noticeably larger gap between "Messersmith" and "188" at the bottom than those versions printed on the series 2 sheet (r)
Series 2: 133-263
Series 2 contains 131 unique cards. The series 2 checklist, a series 1 card, appears again on the slit shown above on the left, depriving the series of a full 132 cards. Of the 131 cards, 94 are basic player cards (including three of the All Star Rookies above - Chambliss, Speier and Braun). It includes 37 cards from a variety of subsets, including one exclusive to series 2 - post season highlights.
Cards 221 and 222 are dedicated to the 1971 NLCS (221) and ALCS (222). Reverses provide the series hitting and pitching stats of the victorious clubs.
Cards 223-230 highlight each game of the 1971 World Series and include a card depicting the championship celebration. Reverses offer each game's batting statistics for each club, and the celebration card provides each club's composite hitting and pitching stats from the series.
Series 2 includes four team photo cards - Twins, Cubs, Yankees and Padres. The Cubs' includes individual player portraits in lieu of an actual team photo.
Series 2 includes four manager cards - Dick Williams/A's, Frank Lucchesi/Phillies, Eddie Kasko/Red Sox and Harry Walker/Astros.
Series 2 has six 3-player Rookie Stars cards. Included are cards for the Mets, Brewers, Dodgers, Angels, Giants and Tigers. The Brewers' (left) contains an error - the images of Darrell Porter and Jerry Bell are reversed.
Another 12 In Action cards are included in series 2. Card backs feature series 3&4 highlights (3x), series 5&6 highlights (3x) and a list of AL and NL pennant winners back to 1901, batting leaders back to 1901 and ERA leaders back to 1912.
In series 2, the In Action cards appeared as the even-numbered cards from 164-186.
Featured on In Action cards in series 2 are:
Tug McGraw, Mets
Chris Speier, Giants
Deron Johnson, Phillies
Vida Blue, A's
Darrell Evans, Braves
Clay Kirby, Padres
Tom Haller, Tigers
Paul Schaal, Royals
Dock Ellis, Pirates
Ed Kranepool, Mets
Bill Melton, White Sox
Ron Bryant, Giants
Series 2 contains a reprint of the series 2 checklist, discussed above, as well as a series 3 checklist. On the version printed with the 2nd series cards (l) the type fills the yellow field on the front, while the version printed with the 3rd series (r) features gaps on the top and bottom between the print and the border.
Series 3: 264-394
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The two series 3 slits - the one on the left is a mock-up based upon known proof sheet arrangements (some proofers marks are visible). Series 3 contains 131 unique cards owing to the inclusion of the 3rd series checklist (a second series card) on the right slit above. Series 3 contains 97 basic player cards (including All Star Rookies Parsons and Williams). 34 cards are from various subsets.
Cards 341-348 depict current players as kids in Boyhood Photos of the Stars. Card fronts feature an image taken in childhood and a small inset current image. Backs offer stories from the player's youth and upbringing, with an emphasis on athletics.
Series 3 includes four team photo cards - Astros, Red Sox, Mets and White Sox.
Four manager cards are included in series 3 - Gene Mauch/Expos, Earl Weaver/Orioles, Sparky Anderson/Reds and Bill Rigney/Twins.
Series 4 has three 3-player and three 2-player Rookie Stars cards. 3-player cards include the Cardinals, Rangers and Braves while 2-player cards include the A's, Royals and Pirates.
12 more In Action cards are included in series 3. Card backs feature "So You're a Baseball Expert" questions and answers challenging kids to figure out the correct call in complex real-world game situations (10x). Also featured series 3&4 highlights (1x) and series 5&6 highlights (1x).
Series 4 In Action cards appear as the even-numbered cards from 292-314.
Featured on In Action cards in series 3 are:
Hal McRae, Reds Hank Aaron, Braves Steve Renko, Expos
Danny Frisella, Mets George Mitterwald, Twins Roberto Clemente, Pirates
Dick Dietz, Giants Joe Pepitone, Cubs Clay Carroll, Reds
Claude Osteen, Dodgers Ken Boswell, Mets Luis Aparicio, Red Sox
Series 3 includes a re-print of the series 3 checklist from series 2, and also the series 4 checklist.
The series 4 checklist can be found with both the correct asterisk printing mark on the bottom of the reverse (top) as well as with a 5-point star mark (bottom). Insufficient imagery exists to determine which version was printed as part of series 3 and which was printed with series 4.
Series 4: 395-525
Series 4 contains 131 unique cards - the series 4 checklist, a series 3 card, was printed again on the left hand slit above. Of these, 96 are basic player cards and 35 represent various subsets.
Series 4 features another run of Boyhood Photos of the Stars cards (491-498).
Series 4 includes another four team photo cards - Phillies, A's, Tigers and Dodgers.
Included in series 4 are four manager cards - Bob Lemon/Royals, Gil Hodges/Mets, Lum Harris/Braves and Ted Williams/Rangers.
3-player Rookie Stars cards are included from the Padres, Orioles and Indians. 2-Player cards appear for the White Sox, Expos and Reds.
12 In Action cards appear as the even-numbered cards from 426-448. 11 card backs feature newspaper-like accounts of 1971 season highlights and one provides highlights from series 5&6.
Featured on In Action cards in series 4 are:
Ken Singleton, Mets Johnny Bench, Reds Thurman Munson, Yankees
Tito Fuentes, Giants Reggie Jackson, A's Ken Henderson, Giants
Bob Robertson, Pirates Maury Wills, Dodgers Tom Seaver, Mets
Clarence Gaston, Padres Billy Williams, Cubs Willie Stargell, Pirates
In addition to the reprinted series 4 checklist, a series 5 checklist appears in series 4. Two versions exist - one with the black type on the front positioned low in the yellow field (l), which was printed with series 4, and the other with the black type slightly higher in the yellow field (r), printed with series 5.
Series 5: 526-656
Series 5 contains 131 unique cards - the series 5 checklist, a series 4 card, was printed again on the left hand slit above. Of these, 104 are basic player cards and 27 represent various subsets. Beginning in series 5, and continuing into series 6, both the design elements and the photographs on card fronts display a clarity and crispness not seen on their counterparts in series 1-4.
If the repeated use of kid photos in the previous two series didn't signal Topps was having a hard time coming up with novel subset ideas, series 5's dynamic still-lifes of awards should have made the point plain. Cards 621-626 are illustrated with images of some of the award hardware given out in MLB each year. On the backs appear lists of winners over the years.
Team photos included in series 5 are the Indians, Royals, Expos and Reds.
Series 5 manager cards include Ralph Houk/Yankees, Leo Durocher/Cubs, Dave Bristol/Brewers and Preston Gomez/Padres.
The even-numbered cards between 552-574 are series 5's In Action cards. Reverses feature pieces of images of either Joe Torre (6x) or Carl Yastrzemski (6x).
Featured on In Action cards in series 5 are:
Ollie Brown, Padres Ray Sadecki, Mets
Wilbur Wood, White Sox Reggie Smith, Red Sox
Ron Santo, Cubs Juan Marichal, Giants
John Odom, A's Ed Kirkpatrick, Royals
Pete Rose, Reds Nate Colbert, Padres
Leo Cardenas, Angels Fritz Peterson, Yankees
Series 5 includes the series 6 checklist which is available in two variations - one with the copyright data on the reverse aligned towards the left side of the card and the other with it further to the right. There is insufficient visual evidence to determine which version was printed with series 5 and which was printed with series 6.
Card 534 of Jim Hickman can be found with the correct green highlights in "CUBS" on the front, and without.
Series 6: 657-787
Series 6 contains 131 unique cards - the series 6 checklist, a series 5 card, was printed again on the left hand slit above. Of these, 99 are basic player cards - including All Star Rookies Montanez and Griffin. The remaining 32 belong to various subsets. Series 6 is notable for the appearance of the cards - strikingly sharp - as well as their rarity. They are arguably the hardest high-numbered cards to find since 1967's and perhaps among the most difficult since the legendary 1952s.
Cards 751-757 depict players featured in earlier series who changed teams during the off-season, pictured with their new clubs. Card backs feature information about how they were acquired and some career-related details.
Series 6 includes the final four team photo cards - the Rangers (in reality a photo of the 1971 Senators club), Cardinals, Orioles and Giants.
Four manager cards complete the 24 club collection - Bill Virdon/Pirates, Del Rice/Angels, Walter Alston/Dodgers and Ken Aspromonte/Indians.
Series 6 includes a 3-player Rookie Stars card of the Twins, a 2-player version of the Astros and three that are non-team specific (2 AL/NL and 1 AL).
The set's final run of In Action cards appear as the even-numbered cards between 692-714. Reverses feature pieces of images of either Tony Oliva (6x) or Tom Seaver (6x).
Featured on In Action cards in series 6 are:
Curt Blefary, A's Doug Griffin, Red Sox
Alan Gallagher, Giants Pat Corrales, Reds
Rod Carew, Twins Tim Foli, Mets
Jerry Koosman, Mets Jim Kaat, Twins
Bobby Murcer, Yankees Bobby Bonds, Giants
Jose Pagan, Pirates Gene Michael, Yankees
Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (79) makes his debut appearance in 1972, as do Cecil Cooper (79), J.R. Richard (101), Jose Cruz (107), Chris Chambliss (142), Dave Kingman (147), Charlie Hough (198), Richie Zisk (392), George Hendrick (406) and Ron Cey (761).
Taking their bows in 1972 are Hall of Famers Bill Mazeroski (760) and Hoyt Wilhelm (777), as well as Maury Wills (437).
10 of the 72 In Action cards were formatted horizontally to allow for wider images.
Finally, just because, here are the assembled In Action puzzles...
