1972 Topps #309 Roberto Clemente
About Roberto Clemente
Pittsburgh's right fielder hit .341 with 13 home runs and 86 RBI in 1971. In the World Series he batted .414 with two home runs as the Pirates beat Baltimore in seven games. His 1972 Topps card is #309 in the third series, followed by an In Action card at #310, both with the Pirates.
Roberto Clemente spent all 18 major-league seasons with Pittsburgh, primarily in right field. A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, he played winter baseball for Santurce before signing with Brooklyn in 1954. After a season at Triple-A Montreal, he joined the Pirates through the Rule 5 draft. Clemente won 4 National League batting titles and 12 consecutive Gold Gloves, from 1961 through 1972. He earned the 1966 NL Most Valuable Player Award and played for Pittsburgh's 1960 and 1971 World Series champions, winning the Series MVP award in 1971. He was selected for 15 All-Star Games across 12 seasons. His career produced a .317 average, 240 home runs and 1,305 RBI. A double off Jon Matlack on September 30, 1972, made him the 11th player to reach 3,000 hits. Away from Pittsburgh, Clemente played and managed in Puerto Rico and planned a Sports City where children could play, read and learn. He organized shipments of food and medicine after Nicaragua's December 1972 earthquake and died accompanying a relief flight. A special election waived the usual five-year waiting period in 1973, making him the first player from Latin America elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame (1) · National Baseball Hall of Fame (2) · SABR · Baseball Almanac · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 8,473 | 26 | 406 | 1,789 | 1,573 | 1,432 | 1,049 | 2,193 | 5 |
| SGC | 2,896 | 4 | 27 | 230 | 473 | 562 | 617 | 958 | 25 |
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 Roberto Clemente in this set: #310 In Action
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 #309 card?
It is card #309 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is #309 the Roberto Clemente card?
Yes. #309 is Roberto Clemente. At least one dealer key-card list gives other numbers for #49 Willie Mays, #309 Roberto Clemente, #441 Thurman Munson and #595 Nolan Ryan, but these are the numbers printed on the cards.
What are the key cards in the 1972 Topps set?
The key cards are #309 Roberto Clemente; the #582 Montreal Expos team card, which PSA's set article calls the hardest card in the set to find in high grade; #79 Red Sox 1972 Rookie Stars, with Carlton Fisk's rookie card - the only Hall of Famer rookie card in the set - beside Mike Garman and Cecil Cooper; #595 Nolan Ryan, the most coveted of its Hall of Famers in PSA's words; and #686 Steve Garvey, which PSA CardFacts names among the hard-to-find high numbers.
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.