1972 Topps #209 Joe Rudi
About Joe Rudi
Rudi sold insurance from his home during the offseason before batting .305 with 19 home runs and an American League-leading nine triples in 1972. Charlie Finley staged Mustache Day that June. Rudi said in 2011 that he had never shaved his mustache and that his wife, Sharon, liked it. His Oakland card was #209 in the second series of 1972 Topps.
Joe Rudi played left field for Oakland's three consecutive World Series championship teams from 1972 through 1974. He batted .300 in 70 at-bats in those Series. A three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, he led the American League in hits in 1972 and total bases in 1974, finishing second in MVP voting both years. Kansas City scout Don Pries signed him out of Modesto, California, in 1964. He made his major-league debut in 1967 and stayed with the Athletics when they moved to Oakland. After later stops with California and Boston, he returned to Oakland for his final major-league season in 1982. Across sixteen seasons, he batted .264 with 179 home runs and 810 RBI in 1,547 games. The Athletics inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · MLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 268 | 1 | 38 | 165 | 34 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 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.
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: #454 Oakland A's
More Oakland Athletics cards:
- #17 Dave Duncan
- #41 Tommy Davis
- #42 Tommy Davis In Action
- #62 Angel Mangual
- #75 Bert Campaneris
- #90 1971 A.L. Home Run Leaders
- #92 1971 A.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #94 1971 A.L. Pitching Leaders
- #96 1971 A.L. Strikeout Leaders
- #111 Jim Grant
- #137 Dick Williams
- #169 Vida Blue
- #170 Vida Blue In Action
- #189 Gene Tenace
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #209 card?
It is card #209 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Rudi of the Oakland Athletics.
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.