1972 Topps #480 Lee May
About Lee May
May hit .284 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI in his first Houston season in 1972. He made his third All-Star team; his brother Carlos was on the American League squad. Topps #480 listed Lee with the Astros. The N.L. home run leaders card, #89, retained his Reds affiliation alongside Willie Stargell of Pittsburgh and Hank Aaron of Atlanta.
Lee May was a right-handed first baseman and designated hitter for the Reds, Astros, Orioles and Royals. He hit 354 home runs and drove in 1,244 runs across 18 major-league seasons, batting .267. From 1968 through 1978, he reached both 20 homers and 80 RBI every year. Teammate Tommy Helms gave him the nickname "the Big Bopper from Birmingham," later shortened to "the Big Bopper." May signed with Cincinnati for $12,000 after playing three sports at Parker High School. Tampa manager Johnny Vander Meer converted him from the outfield to first base. After retiring as a player, May became Kansas City's hitting coach and was on the staff of its 1985 World Series championship team.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 202 | 12 | 68 | 84 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
More Lee May in this set: #89 League Leaders
Team card: #282 Houston Astros
More Houston Astros cards:
- #20 Don Wilson
- #56 Rich Chiles
- #65 Cesar Cedeno
- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #101 Astros 1972 Rookie Stars
- #132 Joe Morgan
- #155 Larry Dierker
- #202 Scipio Spinks
- #204 Tommy Helms
- #217 Roger Metzger
- #249 Harry Walker
- #339 Ron Cook
- #355 Bob Watson
- #360 Dave Roberts
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #480 card?
It is card #480 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lee May of the Houston Astros.
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.