1972 Topps #655 Jerry Grote
About Jerry Grote
An elbow injury limited Grote to 64 games in 1972, and he underwent surgery to remove bone chips in late September. Duffy Dyer took on more of the Mets' catching work under Yogi Berra. Grote caught 59 games and hit three home runs. His #655 appears in the fifth series.
Jerry Grote learned to catch under former Tigers manager Del Baker while attending Trinity University in San Antonio. He signed with Houston in 1962 and built a batting cage from chicken wire and carpeting at his parents' farm, practicing against a pitching machine he and a friend assembled. His major league career covered 16 seasons with the Colt .45s, Mets, Dodgers and Royals. He caught every inning of New York's 1969 postseason and collected two hits that helped decide World Series games: a ninth-inning single in Game 2 and a leadoff double in the tenth inning of Game 4. Grote finished with 1,092 hits and a .252 average. After playing, he managed in the minors and later broadcast Round Rock Express games. The Mets inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 225 | 2 | 16 | 96 | 64 | 26 | 8 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 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: #362 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
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- #31 Cleon Jones
- #32 Cleon Jones In Action
- #53 Bud Harrelson
- #54 Bud Harrelson In Action
- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #93 1971 N.L. Pitching Leaders
- #95 1971 N.L. Strikeout Leaders
- #105 Gary Gentry
- #127 Duffy Dyer
- #141 Mets 1972 Rookie Stars
- #163 Tug McGraw
- #164 Tug McGraw In Action
- #181 Ed Kranepool
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #655 card?
It is card #655 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jerry Grote of the New York Mets.
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.