1972 Topps #502 Jackie Hernandez
About Jackie Hernandez
Orioles manager Earl Weaver said the Pirates could not win the pennant with Hernandez at shortstop. Hernandez went 3 for 13 in the 1971 NLCS against San Francisco and 4 for 18 in the World Series. He handled Merv Rettenmund's ground ball for the final out of Pittsburgh's seven-game win over Baltimore. Over the full 1971 season he hit .206 with 26 RBI in 88 games. His 1972 Topps card is #502, a fourth-series issue with the Pirates.
Jacinto Hernandez, known as Jackie, was a Cuban-born shortstop who played nine major league seasons from 1965 to 1973. He signed with Cleveland as a catcher out of Central Tinguaro, Cuba, moved to shortstop on a scout's suggestion, and reached the majors with the California Angels before being traded to the Minnesota Twins. Left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft, he became the Kansas City Royals' first everyday shortstop in their inaugural 1969 season. Hernandez joined the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1971 season and became their regular shortstop after an injury to Gene Alley, helping the club win the 1971 World Series while starting all seven games without an error. A skilled bunter, he finished his career with a .208 average over 618 games. He later coached, including a stint with the New Jersey Jackals, and died in 2019.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 223 | 8 | 70 | 118 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 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: #1 World Champions (Pittsburgh Pirates)
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #27 Bob Johnson
- #60 Manny Sanguillen
- #72 Bruce Kison
- #87 1971 N.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #89 1971 N.L. Home Run Leaders
- #125 Dave Cash
- #152 Gene Clines
- #179 Dock Ellis
- #180 Dock Ellis In Action
- #190 Dave Giusti
- #219 Rennie Stennett
- #221 1971 N.L. Playoffs: Bucs Champs!
- #225 1971 World Series Game No. 3
- #226 1971 World Series Game No. 4
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #502 card?
It is card #502 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jackie Hernandez of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.