1968 Topps #162 Cardinals Rookie Stars - Hal Gilson / Mike Torrez
On this card: Hal Gilson, Mike Torrez
About this card
Thirty Rookie Stars cards carry two players each on a horizontal front. The class is headlined by the two Hall of Fame rookies, #177 Nolan Ryan (with Jerry Koosman) and #247 Johnny Bench (with Ron Tompkins), with #384 Hal McRae (with Bill Henry) the other rookie card collectors chase.
The story on this card
1968 Topps #162 pairs Gilson with Mike Torrez on the Cardinals' Rookie Stars card, part of the set's second print series and a recognized rookie card for both pitchers. That season the lefty broke camp with the World Series champion Cardinals, debuted April 14 against the Cubs, and held opponents scoreless through his first six outings before a 4.57 ERA over 13 games closed out his Cardinals stint. A side-arming Berkeley, California southpaw nicknamed "Lefty," Hal Gilson worked seven minor league seasons before reaching the majors in 1968, opening scoreless in his first six outings for the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Torrez split 1968 between St. Louis and Triple-A Tulsa, going 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in five appearances for the Cardinals before being sent down to get regular work. Card #162, from the set's second print series, is a Rookie Stars card pairing him with fellow pitcher Hal Gilson, both shown as Cardinals prospects. A well-traveled right-hander who pitched for seven major league clubs across 18 seasons, highlighted by a 20-win year with Baltimore in 1975 and two Yankees victories in the 1977 World Series.
Sources: Wikipedia (Hal Gilson) · Wikipedia (Mike Torrez) · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 300 | 11 | 63 | 111 | 45 | 28 | 22 | 18 | 2 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 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. Slabs of the yellow team-letter #49 and #66 are 1968 Milton Bradley game cards and are not counted here.
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Related cards
Team card: #497 St. Louis Cardinals
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #3 National League 1967 RBI Leaders
- #25 Julian Javier
- #46 Dave Ricketts
- #68 Ron Willis
- #84 Bob Tolan
- #100 Bob Gibson
- #117 Larry Jaster
- #141 Dal Maxvill
- #151 World Series Game #1 - Brock Socks 4-Hits in Opener
- #153 World Series Game #3 - Briles Cools Off Boston
- #154 World Series Game #4 - Gibson Hurls Shutout!
- #157 World Series Game #7 - St. Louis Wins It!
- #158 1967 World Series - The Cardinals Celebrate!
- #180 Curt Flood
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #162 card?
It is card #162 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hal Gilson and Mike Torrez. Thirty Rookie Stars cards carry two players each on a horizontal front. The class is headlined by the two Hall of Fame rookies, #177 Nolan Ryan (with Jerry Koosman) and #247 Johnny Bench (with Ron Tompkins), with #384 Hal McRae (with Bill Henry) the other rookie card collectors chase.
Is 1968 Topps #162 a rookie card?
Yes - #162 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Hal Gilson and Mike Torrez.
How many cards are in the 1968 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 606 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 without a gap and no printed number carries two different cards; eight cards - six of the seven checklists, #10 AL Pitching Leaders and #400 Mike McCormick - carry a catalogued print variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball Almanac, Beckett, 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.