1972 Topps #783 Les Cain
About Les Cain
Cain missed April and most of May in 1971 with a sore shoulder, then went 5-1 with a 1.10 ERA in his first seven starts. On November 14, 1971, he became the first person to throw two no-hitters in the Puerto Rican Winter League, a 1-0 victory for Mayaguez. His 1972 Topps card, #783, is in the sixth series and shows him with Detroit. He lost his first three starts of 1972 and left his May 28 start with shoulder pain.
Les Cain was a left-handed pitcher who spent his entire four-season career with the Detroit Tigers from 1968 to 1972. Born January 13, 1948, in San Luis Obispo, California, he was the Tigers' fourth-round pick in 1966 and reached the majors at age 20, making Detroit's Opening Day roster in 1968. In 1970 he set a Tigers rookie record for strikeouts, and in 1971 he went 10-9. On August 28, 1971, Cain hit the last home run by a Tigers pitcher before the American League adopted the designated hitter, a distinction that stood for decades. A shoulder injury ended his career in 1972; he made five starts and then went on the 21-day disabled list. He finished 23-19 with a 3.98 ERA and 303 strikeouts. Off the mound, Cain later won a landmark workers' compensation case against the Tigers over the arm injury.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 445 | 17 | 144 | 210 | 47 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 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
Team card: #487 Detroit Tigers
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #6 Fred Scherman
- #33 Billy Martin
- #34 Billy Martin In Action
- #83 Dalton Jones
- #90 1971 A.L. Home Run Leaders
- #94 1971 A.L. Pitching Leaders
- #96 1971 A.L. Strikeout Leaders
- #120 Bill Freehan
- #150 Norm Cash
- #175 Tom Haller
- #176 Tom Haller In Action
- #187 Gates Brown
- #216 Joe Niekro
- #239 Tom Timmermann
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #783 card?
It is card #783 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Les Cain of the Detroit Tigers.
Why is #783 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.