1972 Topps #204 Tommy Helms
About Tommy Helms
Helms is pictured with the Astros on #204, a second-series card. In his first Houston season he played second base in 139 games, hit .259 and drove in 60 runs. He led all major league second basemen with 441 assists and 115 double plays, while his .979 fielding percentage ranked fifth in the National League behind Joe Morgan's league-best .990.
Tommy Helms played second base, third base and shortstop for Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh and Boston during a 14-season major-league career. Growing up in North Carolina, he served as batboy for a semipro team managed by his father. Cincinnati signed him in 1959, and he advanced through Palatka, Topeka, Macon and San Diego before reaching the Reds in September 1964. Helms finished with 1,342 hits and a .269 average in 1,435 games. He hit 34 home runs and drove in 477 runs. His postseason appearances came with the 1970 Reds: he had three hits in 11 at-bats in the NLCS sweep of Pittsburgh and four in 18 against Baltimore in the World Series. After his playing career, he coached for Texas in 1981 and 1982 and returned to Cincinnati's staff in 1983. As interim manager he went 12-15 during Pete Rose's 1988 suspension and 16-21 after replacing Rose in 1989. The Reds inducted Helms into their Hall of Fame in 1979.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 245 | 5 | 57 | 137 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1972 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #282 Houston Astros
More Houston Astros cards:
- #20 Don Wilson
- #56 Rich Chiles
- #65 Cesar Cedeno
- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #101 Astros 1972 Rookie Stars
- #132 Joe Morgan
- #155 Larry Dierker
- #202 Scipio Spinks
- #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 #204 card?
It is card #204 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tommy Helms 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.