1972 Topps #488 Mike Nagy
About Mike Nagy
Nagy had a good camp with Boston in 1972 and, according to manager Eddie Kasko, was in the thick of the competition. He pitched once for the Red Sox that year, two innings in September, with a 9.00 ERA and two strikeouts. The Red Sox traded him to St. Louis in January 1973. His #488, from the fourth series, shows him with Boston.
Mike Nagy was a right-handed sinkerball pitcher from the Bronx who won 20 games in the majors, all but eight of them in his rookie year. Boston took him in the sixth round of the 1966 draft out of St. Helena's High School, and in 1969 he jumped from Class A to the Red Sox, going 12-2 with a 3.11 ERA and winning American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year. He finished second to Lou Piniella in the Rookie of the Year voting. A bursa sac in his elbow popped the next year, and he never recaptured that form; he later called walking a lot of hitters his big problem. He pitched for the Red Sox through 1972, then the Cardinals in 1973 and the Astros in 1974, ending with a 20-13 record and 4.15 ERA in 87 games. In Mexico from 1976 to 1979 he won 67 games with a 2.01 ERA, the best mark in Mexican League history over 500 innings, and led the league in wins and ERA in 1978 at 21-11, 1.64. He became a realtor in the Bronx.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 353 | 10 | 136 | 165 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 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.
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: #328 Boston Red Sox
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #2 Ray Culp
- #30 Rico Petrocelli
- #37 Carl Yastrzemski
- #38 Carl Yastrzemski In Action
- #79 Red Sox 1972 Rookie Stars
- #88 1971 A.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #113 Rogelio Moret
- #144 Marty Pattin
- #199 Mike Fiore
- #218 Eddie Kasko
- #259 Sparky Lyle
- #266 Bobby Bolin
- #290 Sonny Siebert
- #313 Luis Aparicio
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #488 card?
It is card #488 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Nagy of the Boston Red Sox.
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.