1972 Topps #777 Hoyt Wilhelm
About Hoyt Wilhelm
Wilhelm split his 1971 Dodgers stint between two levels. At Class AAA Spokane he started six of his eight games and posted a 3.89 ERA. In Los Angeles he allowed two earned runs over 17 2/3 innings in nine games. Card #777 is a sixth-series Dodgers card. He made 16 appearances in 1972, with a 4.62 ERA over 25 1/3 innings. His last came on July 10, and the Dodgers released him on July 21 with a then-record 1,070 games pitched.
Hoyt Wilhelm built his career on a knuckleball he taught himself as a North Carolina teenager. Born in Huntersville on July 26, 1922 -- long recorded as 1923 -- he was one of eleven children of tenant farmers. He served in the Army, was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart, and he pitched his entire career with a fragment lodged in his back. His rise to staff sergeant left him the nickname "Old Sarge." He debuted for the New York Giants on April 18, 1952, at age 29, and homered in his first at-bat, the only home run he ever hit. Working entirely in relief, he won the National League ERA title as a rookie at 2.43, going 15-3. With Baltimore he no-hit the Yankees 1-0 on September 20, 1958, and as a starter in 1959 he took a second ERA crown at 2.19. He pitched for nine franchises, tying Satchel Paige and Goose Gossage for the most by a Hall of Fame pitcher, and was the first to reach 200 saves and 1,000 games. Twenty-one seasons left him 143-122 with a 2.52 ERA and 227 saves. His 124 wins in relief remain the major league record, and in 1985 he became the first reliever elected to Cooperstown.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,023 | 23 | 197 | 482 | 167 | 89 | 42 | 23 | 0 |
| SGC | 126 | 1 | 12 | 40 | 39 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1972 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
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 #777 card?
It is card #777 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hoyt Wilhelm of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why is #777 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.