1972 Topps #279 Larry Brown
About Larry Brown
With Oakland in 1971, Larry Brown made starts at shortstop, second base and third base and batted .196 for the A's. His 1972 Topps #279, a third-series card, shows him with the Athletics. In the second week of the 1972 season he replaced the ailing Dick Green at second base. He started 44 of the club's 45 games from late April until mid-June, when leg pain and a bad back put him on the disabled list. Oakland released him after the season.
Larry Brown was an infielder who played twelve major league seasons, 1963 through 1974, with a rifle arm and sure hands. Signed by Cleveland out of a Lake Worth, Florida high school, he worked his way up through the minors before debuting with the Indians in 1963. He spent most of his career at shortstop and second base for Cleveland, later moving around the infield as a veteran utilityman for Oakland, Baltimore, and Texas. Cleveland beat reporter Hal Lebovitz called his fieldwork acrobatic and flashy, and Brown had a reputation as a player's player with a team-oriented attitude. In the Cleveland clubhouse he and teammates Fred Whitfield and Chuck Hinton were known to strum guitars and sing country music. In 1973 he reached the postseason with Baltimore, taking over at third base for Brooks Robinson in the final inning of ALCS Game Two. He retired after the 1974 season, having played 1,129 games. He hit .233 for his career with 47 home runs and 254 RBI.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 317 | 9 | 99 | 164 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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 #279 card?
It is card #279 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Larry Brown 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.