1972 Topps #740 Rico Carty
About Rico Carty
Carty was scheduled to return August 5, 1971, when fans were to receive buttons reading "SMILE - the Beeg Boy's Back." On August 24 two off-duty Atlanta policemen beat him and his brother-in-law; the officers were fired and the charges against him dropped. Sixth-series #740 shows him with the Braves. He earned a $50,000 contract after a spring trial in 1972, then fought elbow tendinitis and a pulled hamstring and hit .277 in 86 games. On October 27, 1972, Atlanta traded him to Texas for Jim Panther.
Rico Carty, a Dominican outfielder from San Pedro de Macoris, played fifteen big-league seasons (1963-1979) for the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Athletics, Indians and Blue Jays, retiring with a .299 career average, 1,677 hits, 204 home runs and 890 RBI. Signed by Milwaukee out of the 1959 Pan American Games, he broke in with a 1964 rookie season and became a fixture in Atlanta's outfield after the franchise moved south. Carty won the 1970 National League batting title at .366, the majors' best mark since 1957, and was elected to that year's All-Star Game as the first write-in starter in major-league history. His career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries and a bout with tuberculosis that cost him the entire 1968 season, yet he returned to help Atlanta capture the 1969 NL West title, its first division crown. In 1996 he was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 255 | 4 | 34 | 148 | 45 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 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: #21 Atlanta Braves
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #740 card?
It is card #740 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Rico Carty of the Atlanta Braves.
Why is #740 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.