1967 Topps #472 Pirates Rookie Stars - John Gelnar / George Spriggs
On this card: John Gelnar, George Spriggs
About this card
This is one of the 43 Rookie Stars cards in the set, each pairing two prospects. Thirty-nine are titled by club; #569, #576, #587 and #592 carry a league title and cover two clubs each.
The story on this card
Gelnar returns to the Pirates on this Rookie Stars card, paired with outfielder George Spriggs, issued in the set's sixth print series. It was issued during his 1967 season back with Pittsburgh, where he worked as both a spot starter and reliever and also got a handful of at-bats. Within a year his contract would move to the Kansas City Royals, ending his run as a Pirate. It is Spriggs' rookie card; Gelnar's came on 1965 Topps #143. A right-handed pitcher out of Granite, Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma, he worked in relief and spot-start roles for the Pirates, Pilots and Brewers before returning to Oklahoma to farm and ranch.
In 1967 Spriggs got his fullest big-league look yet, appearing in 38 games for the Pirates and scoring 14 runs. He was then selected by the Boston Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft. His 1967 Topps card is a Rookie Stars share with fellow Pirate John Gelnar, part of the sixth print series and a recognized rookie card. A speedy reserve outfielder who stole 170 bases in the minors for Columbus, George Spriggs played for the Pirates and Royals between 1965 and 1970.
Sources: Wikipedia (John Gelnar) · Wikipedia (George Spriggs)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 230 | 1 | 23 | 97 | 65 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 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. PSA registers a row for every one of the 624 states; SGC lists no separate row for the #149 white-streak state.
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Related cards
Team card: #492 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #10 Matty Alou
- #49 Roy Face
- #66 Manny Mota
- #84 Tommie Sisk
- #123 Pirates 1967 Rookie Stars
- #140 Willie Stargell
- #162 Billy O'Dell
- #183 Jim Pagliaroni
- #203 Al McBean
- #221 Woody Fryman
- #238 National League 1966 Strikeout Leaders
- #240 National League 1966 Batting Leaders
- #242 National League 1966 RBI Leaders
- #266 Pitt Power
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1967 Topps #472 card?
It is card #472 of the 609-card 1967 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Gelnar and George Spriggs. This is one of the 43 Rookie Stars cards in the set, each pairing two prospects. Thirty-nine are titled by club; #569, #576, #587 and #592 carry a league title and cover two clubs each.
Is 1967 Topps #472 a rookie card?
Yes - #472 is the rookie card of George Spriggs. John Gelnar had already appeared on an earlier Topps card, so it is not his rookie card.
Why is #472 harder to find?
It is from the sixth print series, #458-533 - noticeably tougher than the first five.
How many cards are in the 1967 Topps Baseball set?
609 cards, tracked as 624 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 609 without a gap - no number was skipped and none was used twice - and 15 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-12.