1972 Topps #539 Terry Forster
About Terry Forster
Forster's rookie card, #539 from the fifth series, follows his debut with the White Sox on April 11, 1971. He pitched in 45 games, three of them starts, and worked 49 2/3 innings. He finished 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
Terry Forster was a left-handed reliever from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who pitched 16 seasons, 1971 to 1986, and saved 127 games. He made the Chicago White Sox opening day roster in 1971 after ten games in Class A, saved 29 games in 1972, and led the American League with 24 saves in 1974, winning the Sporting News top-reliever award. The White Sox moved him into the rotation in 1976, and after a 2-12 season he was traded to Pittsburgh with Rich Gossage for Richie Zisk and Silvio Martinez. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent and posted a 1.93 ERA with 22 saves in 1978, a year that ended in a World Series loss to the Yankees. He pitched for the Dodgers through 1982, then for Atlanta from 1983 to 1985, and finished with California in 1986. In 1985 David Letterman called him a fat tub of goo on Late Night. His career line was 54-65 with a 3.23 ERA in 614 games.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 343 | 20 | 126 | 162 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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: #381 Chicago White Sox
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- #90 1971 A.L. Home Run Leaders
- #92 1971 A.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #94 1971 A.L. Pitching Leaders
- #98 Chuck Tanner
- #126 Bart Johnson
- #146 Steve Kealey
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #539 card?
It is card #539 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Terry Forster of the Chicago White Sox.
Is 1972 Topps #539 a rookie card?
Yes - #539 is the 1972 Topps rookie card of Terry Forster.
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.