1972 Topps #6 Fred Scherman
About Fred Scherman
Scherman went 7-3 with 12 saves in 57 games in 1972, and Detroit fans voted him the King Tiger award for the second year running. In Game 2 of the ALCS, a 5-0 loss to Oakland, he knocked Reggie Jackson down twice with inside pitches before a brawl broke out when Lerrin LaGrow hit Bert Campaneris. He pitched two-thirds of an inning without an earned run. His 1972 Topps card is #6, in the first series, and shows him with the Tigers.
Fred Scherman was a left-handed reliever from Dayton, Ohio, who pitched in the majors from 1969 to 1976 for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos, going 33-26 with a 3.66 ERA and 39 saves. He signed with the Minnesota Twins in December 1963, was drafted by Detroit in December 1964 on the recommendation of Lakeland manager Al Federoff, and spent four seasons in the Tigers' farm system before reaching Detroit. His best year came in 1971, when he set a Tigers record with 69 appearances and saved 20 games under Billy Martin. He relied on a sinking fastball and said location mattered more than velocity. John Hiller's record 38-save season in 1973 pushed him out of the closer's role. Detroit traded him to Houston for Gary Sutherland and Jim Ray that December. He finished his career with Montreal. After his release in July 1976 he pitched in the Pirates system in 1977 and in Japan's Hiroshima Carp organization in 1978.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 284 | 7 | 72 | 148 | 38 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 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: #487 Detroit Tigers
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #33 Billy Martin
- #34 Billy Martin In Action
- #83 Dalton Jones
- #90 1971 A.L. Home Run Leaders
- #94 1971 A.L. Pitching Leaders
- #96 1971 A.L. Strikeout Leaders
- #120 Bill Freehan
- #150 Norm Cash
- #175 Tom Haller
- #176 Tom Haller In Action
- #187 Gates Brown
- #216 Joe Niekro
- #239 Tom Timmermann
- #257 Tigers 1972 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #6 card?
It is card #6 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Fred Scherman of the Detroit Tigers.
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.