1972 Topps #715 Mike Epstein
About Mike Epstein
Epstein was batting .247 with a single home run when Washington traded him in May 1971. In his first six weeks as an Athletic he hit over .300 with ten homers and seven doubles, but he went homerless in August. The year ended at .237 with 19 home runs. In the ALCS he had one single in five at-bats over two games as Baltimore swept Oakland in three games. His #715 is a sixth-series card issued with the Oakland Athletics.
Mike Epstein was a power-hitting first baseman from the Bronx who starred at Fairfax High and the University of California, Berkeley before giving up football for baseball. Rival manager Rocky Bridges tagged him "Super Jew" during an MVP minor league season at Stockton, and Topps and The Sporting News both named him Minor League Player of the Year after he hit 29 home runs with 102 RBI at Rochester in 1966. He broke in with Baltimore in 1966 but was blocked by Boog Powell and dealt to Washington in 1967. Managed by Ted Williams in 1969-70, Epstein posted career highs in batting average, home runs and RBI in 1969. He was traded to Oakland in 1971 and played for the 1972 World Series champion Athletics before moving on to Texas and California. Over nine seasons he hit .244 with 130 home runs. He was later inducted into the United States National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the California Athletics Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 235 | 6 | 29 | 132 | 47 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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 #715 card?
It is card #715 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Epstein of the Oakland Athletics.
Why is #715 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.