1972 Topps #291 Hal McRae
About Hal McRae
In the 1972 World Series against Oakland, McRae went 4-for-9 with 2 RBI. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning of the first two games and singled both times, and his Game 2 single scored Tony Perez with the Reds' only run. He hit 5 home runs and drove in 26 in 61 games. Topps gave him two third-series cards, #291 and the In Action card #292.
Hal McRae was a designated hitter and outfielder for the Kansas City Royals after beginning his major league career with Cincinnati. A multiple leg fracture in Puerto Rican winter ball after the 1968 season reduced his speed. The Reds traded him and Wayne Simpson to Kansas City for Roger Nelson and Richie Scheinblum on December 1, 1972. Over 19 seasons he batted .290 with 2,091 hits. He hit 191 home runs and drove in 1,097 runs in 2,084 games. He made three All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger in 1982 while driving in 133 runs, and received the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award three times. He won the World Series with Kansas City in 1985 and became the Royals' first African-American manager in 1991. He later managed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His son Brian also became a major league outfielder.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 323 | 16 | 95 | 158 | 26 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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
More Hal McRae in this set: #292 In Action
Team card: #651 Cincinnati Reds
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #3 Bob Tolan
- #80 Tony Perez
- #89 1971 N.L. Home Run Leaders
- #99 Ross Grimsley
- #121 Ed Sprague
- #136 Darrel Chaney
- #157 Don Gullett
- #236 Jim McGlothlin
- #256 George Foster
- #267 Dave Concepcion
- #292 Hal McRae In Action
- #311 Clay Carroll
- #312 Clay Carroll In Action
- #358 Sparky Anderson
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #291 card?
It is card #291 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hal McRae of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.