1968 Topps #72 Tommy John
A near-identical version of this card appears in the 1968 Milton Bradley game set, identified by its yellow-tinged back.
About Tommy John
Card #72 comes from the first series, an early and plentiful number rather than a high one. It pictures John in the best stretch of his White Sox years: a 1.78 ERA into the break and a first All-Star selection. On August 22 a ball four sailed over Dick McAuliffe's head, McAuliffe charged the mound, and John tore shoulder ligaments in the fight, ending at 10-5 with a 1.98 ERA that still ranked fifth in the league. Watch for the near-identical 1968 Milton Bradley version of this card, told apart by its yellow-tinged back.
Thomas Edward John was a left-handed pitcher born May 22, 1943, in Terre Haute, Indiana, and signed by the Cleveland Indians at eighteen in 1961 on the strength of a curveball taught to him by a friend of his father. He debuted for Cleveland in September 1963, then made his name with the Chicago White Sox from 1965 through 1971, tying for the American League shutout lead with five in 1966, sharing it again with six in 1967, and posting a 1.98 ERA in 1968 that brought his first All-Star selection. Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Dick Allen after the 1971 season, he tore his ulnar collateral ligament in 1974; the ligament-replacement operation Dr. Frank Jobe performed that year cost him the 1975 season and has been known as Tommy John surgery ever since. He returned to win 20 games in 1977 and pitched in the 1977 and 1978 World Series, then added 21- and 22-win seasons for the New York Yankees. A four-time All-Star, he lost all three World Series he appeared in, and retired in 1989 after a record-tying 26th season with 288 wins, the second most of any pitcher since 1900 outside the Hall of Fame. He died in 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 867 | 19 | 171 | 352 | 128 | 78 | 35 | 83 | 1 |
| SGC | 115 | 0 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 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: #424 Chicago White Sox
More Chicago White Sox cards:
- #8 American League 1967 ERA Leaders
- #14 Jerry McNertney
- #33 Pete Ward
- #51 Bob Locker
- #99 Rocky Colavito
- #125 Joe Horlen
- #142 White Sox 1968 Rookie Stars
- #172 Walt Williams
- #210 Gary Peters
- #229 Fred Klages
- #259 Ken Boyer
- #265 Tommy Davis
- #287 White Sox 1968 Rookie Stars
- #310 Luis Aparicio
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #72 card?
It is card #72 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tommy John of the Chicago White Sox.
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.