1972 Topps #736 Bill Russell
About Bill Russell
Card #736 is a sixth-series issue that follows a 1971 in which Russell played 91 games and hit .227. He split his time between the infield and the outfield that year: 41 games at second base, where he played the most, and 40 in the outfield, mostly in right field.
Bill Russell played shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers through the Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Ron Cey years, and all 18 of his major league seasons, 1969 to 1986, came in a Dodger uniform. He appeared in 2,181 games, a club total topped only by Zack Wheat, and batted .263, the same average he posted in 23 World Series games. The Dodgers drafted him in the ninth round in 1966 out of Pittsburg High School in Kansas. The infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey stayed together for eight and a half years. He was an All-Star in 1973, 1976 and 1980, wore number 18, hit .337 over five NLCS and played on four pennant winners, the last of them the 1981 champions. A Mike LaCoss pitch shattered his right forefinger in September 1980; after surgery he played on until his retirement. Tommy John called him the best shortstop who ever played behind him. Russell joined Tommy Lasorda's coaching staff in 1987 and became acting manager on June 25, 1996, the day after Lasorda's heart attack. Made permanent on July 29, he took the 1996 club to the wild card and went 173-149 before he was fired on June 21, 1998, ending a 30-year association with the club.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 501 | 25 | 139 | 240 | 63 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
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: #522 Los Angeles Dodgers
More Los Angeles Dodgers cards:
- #11 Bobby Valentine
- #25 Bill Singer
- #63 Duke Sims
- #93 1971 N.L. Pitching Leaders
- #114 Bill Buckner
- #151 Jim Brewer
- #198 Dodgers 1972 Rookie Stars
- #264 Tommy John
- #265 Wes Parker
- #297 Claude Osteen
- #298 Claude Osteen In Action
- #322 Jose Pena
- #369 Jim Lefebvre
- #390 Willie Davis
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #736 card?
It is card #736 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Russell of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why is #736 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the sixth and last print series, #657-787 - with the fifth series, the toughest to find, per PSA.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
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.