1972 Topps #72 Bruce Kison
About Bruce Kison
Kison's rookie card is #72, issued in the first series and showing him with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He debuted at Wrigley Field on July 4, 1971, beat the Reds for his first win on July 8 and shut out the Padres on two hits on July 23. He finished his rookie season 6-5 with a 3.40 ERA in 95 1/3 innings. In the NLCS he relieved Steve Blass in Game 4 and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a 9-5 win over San Francisco.
Bruce Kison was a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-79), California Angels (1980-84) and Boston Red Sox (1985), known as The Whip for his sidearm delivery and fearless approach on the mound. As a rookie he relieved in Game 4 of the 1971 World Series and threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Baltimore, and he collected a second ring with Pittsburgh in 1979. Shoulder trouble moved him between the bullpen and the rotation for years, and he rebuilt his delivery into a three-quarters motion in the 1973-74 offseason. His best season came in 1976, with 14 wins and a 3.08 ERA. He signed a five-year contract with the Angels after 1979, started Game 2 of the 1982 ALCS, and finished 115-88 with 1,073 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA over 15 seasons. He later coached for Kansas City and Baltimore and scouted for the Orioles.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 323 | 2 | 95 | 172 | 35 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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: #1 World Champions (Pittsburgh Pirates)
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #27 Bob Johnson
- #60 Manny Sanguillen
- #87 1971 N.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #89 1971 N.L. Home Run Leaders
- #125 Dave Cash
- #152 Gene Clines
- #179 Dock Ellis
- #180 Dock Ellis In Action
- #190 Dave Giusti
- #219 Rennie Stennett
- #221 1971 N.L. Playoffs: Bucs Champs!
- #225 1971 World Series Game No. 3
- #226 1971 World Series Game No. 4
- #227 1971 World Series Game No. 5
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #72 card?
It is card #72 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bruce Kison of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is 1972 Topps #72 a rookie card?
Yes - #72 is the 1972 Topps rookie card of Bruce Kison.
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.