1970 Topps #17 Hoyt Wilhelm
About Hoyt Wilhelm
California sent Wilhelm and Bob Priddy to Atlanta on September 8, 1969, for Clint Compton and Mickey Rivers. He saved four games for the Braves that month with a 0.73 ERA over 12 1/3 innings. Between the two clubs, his 1969 ended at 7-7 with a 2.19 ERA and 14 saves. His first-series card, #17, lists him with the Atlanta Braves.
Hoyt Wilhelm built his career on a knuckleball he taught himself as a North Carolina teenager. Born in Huntersville on July 26, 1922 -- long recorded as 1923 -- he was one of eleven children of tenant farmers. He served in the Army, was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart, and he pitched his entire career with a fragment lodged in his back. His rise to staff sergeant left him the nickname "Old Sarge." He debuted for the New York Giants on April 18, 1952, at age 29, and homered in his first at-bat, the only home run he ever hit. Working entirely in relief, he won the National League ERA title as a rookie at 2.43, going 15-3. With Baltimore he no-hit the Yankees 1-0 on September 20, 1958, and as a starter in 1959 he took a second ERA crown at 2.19. He pitched for nine franchises, tying Satchel Paige and Goose Gossage for the most by a Hall of Fame pitcher, and was the first to reach 200 saves and 1,000 games. Twenty-one seasons left him 143-122 with a 2.52 ERA and 227 saves. His 124 wins in relief remain the major league record, and in 1985 he became the first reliever elected to Cooperstown.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 385 | 1 | 16 | 111 | 101 | 56 | 40 | 60 | 0 |
| SGC | 48 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #472 Atlanta Braves
More Atlanta Braves cards:
- #48 Gil Garrido
- #65 1969 National League Home Run Leaders
- #69 1969 National League Pitching Leaders
- #86 Lum Harris
- #105 Tony Gonzalez
- #122 George Stone
- #145 Rico Carty
- #160 Phil Niekro
- #171 Jim Nash
- #172 Braves 1970 Rookie Stars
- #206 Clete Boyer
- #232 Bob Didier
- #278 Tommie Aaron
- #295 Cecil Upshaw
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #17 card?
It is card #17 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hoyt Wilhelm of the Atlanta Braves.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, 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 2026-10-25.