1972 Topps #420 Steve Carlton
About Steve Carlton
Carlton threw a three-hit shutout against St. Louis in his second start for Philadelphia. After five losses during which the Phillies scored 10 runs, he won 15 consecutive decisions. His 1972 Cy Young selection was unanimous, and he received the Hickok Belt. Topps listed him with St. Louis on #93, the pitching leaders card with Fergie Jenkins, Al Downing and Tom Seaver, and fourth-series #420. Sixth-series Traded card #751 listed Philadelphia.
Steve Carlton, known as Lefty, pitched 24 major league seasons from 1965 through 1988 for the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants, White Sox, Indians and Twins. Following a salary dispute, St. Louis traded him to Philadelphia for Rick Wise in February 1972. That season he went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and 310 strikeouts for a Phillies team that won 59 games. By leading the National League in wins, ERA and strikeouts, Carlton earned the pitching Triple Crown. He became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards, taking the honor in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982. A ten-time All-Star, he also won a Gold Glove in 1981. Carlton pitched for the 1967 Cardinals and 1980 Phillies championship teams; against Kansas City in the 1980 World Series he won both his starts and struck out 17 in 15 innings. He and Nolan Ryan exchanged the career strikeout lead during 1983 and 1984, with Carlton ending 1983 ahead, 3,709 to 3,677. He finished his career with 329 wins, a 3.22 ERA and 4,136 strikeouts. Carlton was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, his first year on the ballot.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · BaseballCardPedia · PSA
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,604 | 7 | 118 | 587 | 402 | 224 | 125 | 141 | 0 |
| SGC | 280 | 0 | 5 | 53 | 67 | 60 | 45 | 45 | 5 |
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 Steve Carlton in this set: #93 League Leaders, #751 Traded
Team card: #688 St. Louis Cardinals
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #9 Stan Williams
- #13 Joe Grzenda
- #67 Red Schoendienst
- #85 1971 N.L. Batting Leaders
- #87 1971 N.L. R.B.I. Leaders
- #93 1971 N.L. Pitching Leaders
- #107 Jose Cruz
- #130 Bob Gibson
- #154 Ted Simmons
- #200 Lou Brock
- #206 Dal Maxvill
- #243 Frank Linzy
- #278 Dennis Higgins
- #316 Cardinals 1972 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #420 card?
It is card #420 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Steve Carlton of the St. Louis Cardinals.
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.