1972 Topps #542 Jack Billingham
About Jack Billingham
Billingham went 12-12 with a 3.18 ERA in 217 2/3 innings in his first season with the Reds. In Game 3 of the World Series he beat Oakland 1-0, throwing eight shutout innings and allowing three hits and three walks. He started the deciding Game 7 as well and left after five innings, having given up one unearned run. The Athletics won the Series four games to three. His #542 is a fifth-series card in the 1972 Topps set and carries the Reds.
Jack Billingham was a right-handed pitcher who spent 13 major league seasons, from 1968 to 1980, with the Dodgers, Expos organization, Astros, Reds, Tigers and Red Sox. Signed by Los Angeles out of Winter Park, Florida, he broke in as a bullpen arm before Harry Walker moved him into the Houston rotation in 1970. His best years came after a 1971 trade sent him to Cincinnati as part of the deal that also brought Joe Morgan, where he won 19 games in both 1973 and 1974 and made his only All-Star team in 1973. Over three World Series with the Big Red Machine he posted a 0.36 ERA, the lowest in Series history until Madison Bumgarner passed it in 2014. He closed his career with the Tigers and briefly the Red Sox, retiring with a 145-113 record and 1,141 strikeouts.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 247 | 9 | 58 | 149 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: #651 Cincinnati Reds
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- #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
- #291 Hal McRae
- #292 Hal McRae In Action
- #311 Clay Carroll
- #312 Clay Carroll In Action
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #542 card?
It is card #542 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jack Billingham 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.