1972 Topps #202 Scipio Spinks
About Scipio Spinks
Houston traded Spinks and Lance Clemons to St. Louis for Jerry Reuss on Opening Day, April 15, 1972, though #202 was printed with the Astros. He made 16 starts, struck out 93 in 118 innings and posted a 2.67 ERA. He trailed only Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver in National League strikeouts until July 4, when he tore knee ligaments scoring past Johnny Bench at Riverfront Stadium.
Scipio Spinks was a hard-throwing right-hander from Chicago's South Side who pitched for the Astros and Cardinals from 1969 to 1973 before injuries ended his career. Houston signed him in 1966 after a year at Woodrow Wilson Junior College, and that August he struck out 20 in a Northern League game, a league record. He carried his father's name; every firstborn son on that side of the family was a Scipio, after the Roman general who defeated Hannibal. In 35 major-league games he went 7-11 with a 3.70 ERA. He pitched in the Cubs, Yankees and Astros organizations until retiring in 1976, then scouted and coached in the Padres and Astros systems and later became head coach at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 291 | 6 | 82 | 166 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 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: #282 Houston Astros
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- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #101 Astros 1972 Rookie Stars
- #132 Joe Morgan
- #155 Larry Dierker
- #204 Tommy Helms
- #217 Roger Metzger
- #249 Harry Walker
- #339 Ron Cook
- #355 Bob Watson
- #360 Dave Roberts
- #394 Ken Forsch
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #202 card?
It is card #202 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Scipio Spinks of the Houston Astros.
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.