1972 Topps #196 Mel Queen
About Mel Queen
In 1972 Queen made 17 appearances for the Angels, none of them starts, and had no decisions. He posted a 4.35 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 31 innings. Part of that year went to the minor leagues, and his last major league game came on July 21, ending his playing career. His #196 card, in the second series, is printed with the California Angels.
Melvin Douglas Queen was born March 26, 1942, in Johnson City, New York, the son of former major league pitcher Mel Queen Sr. The family later settled in San Luis Obispo, California, where Queen starred in three sports before signing with the Cincinnati Reds out of high school in 1960. He broke in with Cincinnati in 1964 as an outfielder and pinch hitter, then in 1966 was converted into a pitcher. His best season came in 1967, when he went 14-8 with a 2.76 ERA over 195 2/3 innings as a starter. Shoulder trouble limited him afterward, and he finished his playing career with the California Angels as a reliever from 1970 to 1972. Queen joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 1986 and served as their major league pitching coach from 1996 through 1999, then worked as a scout for the club. Batting left and throwing right, he retired with a 20-17 pitching record and a .179 career batting average. He died May 11, 2011, in Morro Bay, California.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 330 | 16 | 85 | 191 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 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: #71 California Angels
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- #55 Clyde Wright
- #102 Lloyd Allen
- #115 Jim Fregosi
- #135 Vada Pinson
- #160 Andy Messersmith
- #213 Angels 1972 Rookie Stars
- #253 Sandy Alomar
- #272 Mickey Rivers
- #289 Syd O'Brien
- #354 Tom Murphy
- #379 Ken Berry
- #404 Jeff Torborg
- #419 Jim Spencer
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #196 card?
It is card #196 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mel Queen of the California Angels.
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.