1972 Topps #297 Claude Osteen
About Claude Osteen
Osteen has two 1972 cards, #297 and the In Action #298, both third-series issues with the Dodgers. In 1972 he won 20 games for the second time and completed 14 of his 33 starts, and he ranked in the National League top ten in ERA, innings, games started and shutouts. At the plate he went 24-for-88, a .273 average with 11 RBI.
Claude Wilson Osteen was born August 9, 1939, in Caney Springs, Tennessee, the son of a country-store owner who pitched for an amateur team. He starred at Reading High School outside Cincinnati, going 23-1 in his prep career with a 16-0 senior season for the 1957 state champions. He signed with the Cincinnati Redlegs straight out of school and reached the majors at seventeen without a day in the minors first. The seasoning came afterward, at Wenatchee, Seattle and Indianapolis, since the Reds never gave him a season-long chance to start. In September 1961 the Reds traded him to the Washington Senators for pitcher Dave Sisler, and Washington gave him the rotation spot he wanted, though on a consistently sub-.500 club. In December 1964 the Senators traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deal that brought Frank Howard, Ken McMullen and Pete Richert to Washington. Over nine Dodgers seasons alongside Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale he became a three-time All-Star, a 20-game winner twice, and the man who turned the 1965 World Series. He finished with Houston, St. Louis and the Chicago White Sox at 196-195 with a 3.30 ERA over 18 seasons, then coached big-league pitchers for decades. He is a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 263 | 9 | 88 | 130 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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
More Claude Osteen in this set: #298 In Action
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
- #298 Claude Osteen In Action
- #322 Jose Pena
- #369 Jim Lefebvre
- #390 Willie Davis
- #398 Larry Hisle
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #297 card?
It is card #297 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Claude Osteen of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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.