1972 Topps #697 Jerry Koosman
About Jerry Koosman
Koosman recalled that early in 1972 he had literally forgotten how to wind up. After three early-season defeats, manager Yogi Berra sent him to the bullpen, where he made 10 relief appearances and picked up his first regular-season save. He pitched in 34 games, working 163 innings with 147 strikeouts and a shutout. Topps issued two cards of him in the sixth series, #697 and the In Action card #698, both with the Mets.
Jerry Koosman pitched 19 major league seasons (1967-1985) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, finishing 222-209 with a 3.36 ERA and 2,556 strikeouts. A Minnesota farm kid, he was pitching for an Army team at Fort Bliss, Texas, when his catcher's father, a Shea Stadium usher, passed word to Mets farm director Joe McDonald, and Koosman signed in 1964 for a $1,600 bonus. A slider learned from instructor Frank Lary kept him in the organization, and in 1968 the hard-throwing left-hander went 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA, setting franchise records and finishing one vote behind Johnny Bench for National League Rookie of the Year. He made the All-Star team in 1968 and 1969, and in 1969 he pitched behind Tom Seaver as the Mets won the World Series, winning two games against Baltimore. He won 21 games for the Mets in 1976 and 20 for the Twins in 1979 before closing out with Chicago and Philadelphia. The Mets inducted him into their team hall of fame in 1989 and retired his number 36 in 2021.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 286 | 5 | 63 | 108 | 59 | 23 | 13 | 15 | 0 |
| SGC | 21 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 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 Jerry Koosman in this set: #698 In Action
Team card: #362 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #16 Mike Jorgensen
- #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 #697 card?
It is card #697 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets.
Why is #697 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.