1965 Topps #493 Tigers Rookie Stars - Bill Roman / Bruce Brubaker
On this card: Bill Roman, Bruce Brubaker
About this card
This is one of the 55 Rookie Stars cards in the 1965 Topps set, each picturing two to four young players - 126 players in all - under a team banner, except #577 and #581, which carry American League and National League banners over players from three clubs. Joe Morgan (#16), Steve Carlton (#477), Jim (Catfish) Hunter (#526) and Tony Perez (#581) make their Topps debuts on these cards.
The story on this card
Card #493 in the sixth print series of the 1965 Topps set is a Rookie Stars card shared between Bill Roman and fellow Tigers prospect Bruce Brubaker, both pictured as members of the Detroit Tigers. The card arrived during Roman's second and final big-league season, in which he appeared in 21 games for Detroit but managed just two hits in 27 at-bats. It stands as his recognized rookie card, capturing the promise of a player who had hit well throughout six minor league seasons but whose major league window closed after 1965. Detroit-born first baseman who homered off Jim Bouton in his first major league at bat in 1964, a standout minor league hitter who saw only brief trials with the Tigers.
Bruce Brubaker had not yet reached the majors when this card appeared; he was still working through the minor leagues on his way to 117 career minor league wins. Card 493 is a multi-player Rookie Stars issue from the sixth print series, pairing him on the same card with fellow prospect Bill Roman under the Detroit Tigers banner. It is a recognized rookie card for Brubaker. Right-handed Pennsylvania pitcher who logged two big league relief outings five years apart, one with the Dodgers, one with the Brewers, after 117 minor league wins.
Sources: Wikipedia (Bill Roman) · Wikipedia (Bruce Brubaker)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 369 | 1 | 62 | 194 | 71 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
| SGC | 24 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The two checklist variations, #79 and #508, are listed under the wording PSA uses for each state.
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Related cards
Team card: #173 Detroit Tigers
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #9 American League 1964 Pitching Leaders
- #19 Gates Brown
- #37 Fred Gladding
- #53 Dick McAuliffe
- #83 George Thomas
- #130 Al Kaline
- #153 Norm Cash
- #191 Phil Regan
- #206 Willie Horton
- #236 Dennis McLain
- #259 Tigers 1965 Rookie Stars
- #271 Don Wert
- #288 Jack Hamilton
- #306 Bubba Phillips
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #493 card?
It is card #493 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Roman and Bruce Brubaker. This is one of the 55 Rookie Stars cards in the 1965 Topps set, each picturing two to four young players - 126 players in all - under a team banner, except #577 and #581, which carry American League and National League banners over players from three clubs. Joe Morgan (#16), Steve Carlton (#477), Jim (Catfish) Hunter (#526) and Tony Perez (#581) make their Topps debuts on these cards.
Is 1965 Topps #493 a rookie card?
Yes - #493 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Bill Roman and Bruce Brubaker.
How many cards are in the 1965 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 600 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no printed-number collisions, and two checklist cards - #79 and #508 - carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-11.