1972 Topps #551 Ollie Brown
About Ollie Brown
Ollie Brown was 28 when he told an interviewer before 1972 spring training that he would give 100 percent to the game: "I hope it's not too late to change." Oakland got him from San Diego in May for three players, and in late June the A's sent him to Milwaukee in a deal that eventually returned Billy Conigliaro's rights to Oakland. Cards #551 and the In Action card #552 show him with the Padres, both from the fifth series.
Ollie Lee Brown was an outfielder who spent 13 seasons in the majors from 1965 to 1977, beginning with the San Francisco Giants and finishing with the Philadelphia Phillies. Signed by the Giants in 1962, he hit 40 home runs at Class A Fresno in 1964, a season that gave him the nickname Downtown Ollie Brown. San Diego made him the first pick in the 1968 expansion draft, making him the original Padre, and he had his best season there in 1970 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs. He was traded to Oakland and Milwaukee in 1972, then moved to Houston and Philadelphia in 1974, reaching the postseason with the Phillies in 1976 and 1977. Brown was known especially for a powerful throwing arm; before games he entertained fans by throwing from the far right field corner to third base on the fly. He finished his career with a .265 batting average, 102 home runs and 454 RBIs over 1,221 games. He died in 2015 at his home in Buena Park, California.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 213 | 9 | 62 | 103 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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
More Ollie Brown in this set: #552 In Action
Team card: #262 San Diego Padres
More San Diego Padres cards:
- #7 Enzo Hernandez
- #39 Bob Barton
- #40 Bob Barton In Action
- #78 Steve Arlin
- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #123 Ed Acosta
- #143 Garry Jestadt
- #173 Clay Kirby
- #174 Clay Kirby In Action
- #194 Fred Norman
- #238 Leron Lee
- #274 Al Severinsen
- #288 Johnny Jeter
- #384 Dave Campbell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #551 card?
It is card #551 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ollie Brown of the San Diego Padres.
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.