1972 Topps #605 Nelson Briles
About Nelson Briles
Briles made 27 starts for Pittsburgh in 1972, finishing 14-11 with a 3.08 ERA. He completed nine games and threw two shutouts. In the NLCS against Cincinnati, he pitched six innings and struck out three batters. His Pirates card, #605, appeared in the fifth series of 1972 Topps.
Nelson Briles pitched fourteen major league seasons for St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Texas and Baltimore. A right-hander who worked as both a starter and reliever, he finished with a 129-112 record and a 3.44 ERA. He made 452 appearances and struck out 1,163 batters. He studied drama at Santa Clara University and later performed a Pittsburgh nightclub act featuring songs and jokes. After his playing career, Briles became a television commentator for the Pirates, Mariners and USA Network. He joined Pittsburgh's front office as director of corporate sales in 1986, founded the Pirates Alumni Association and directed the club's fantasy camp.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 278 | 9 | 85 | 153 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #1 World Champions (Pittsburgh Pirates)
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #27 Bob Johnson
- #60 Manny Sanguillen
- #72 Bruce Kison
- #87 1971 N.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #89 1971 N.L. Home Run Leaders
- #125 Dave Cash
- #152 Gene Clines
- #179 Dock Ellis
- #180 Dock Ellis In Action
- #190 Dave Giusti
- #219 Rennie Stennett
- #221 1971 N.L. Playoffs: Bucs Champs!
- #225 1971 World Series Game No. 3
- #226 1971 World Series Game No. 4
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #605 card?
It is card #605 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nelson Briles of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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.