1972 Topps #164 Tug McGraw In Action
About this card
This is one of the 72 In Action cards, each numbered right after the same man's card, in six blocks of twelve even numbers, one per series: #32-54, #164-186, #292-314, #426-448, #552-574 and #692-714 (#34 Billy Martin follows his #33 manager card). The backs of the 24 In Action cards in the fifth and sixth series piece together into pictures of Joe Torre and Carl Yastrzemski (fifth series) and Tony Oliva and Tom Seaver (sixth).
About Tug McGraw In Action
McGraw pitched two innings in the 1972 All-Star Game, striking out four and allowing one hit to earn the win in the National League's 4-3 victory. He finished the regular season 8-6 with a 1.70 ERA and 27 saves. Topps featured him on second-series Mets cards #163 and #164, the latter an In Action card.
Tug McGraw signed with the Mets after his older brother Hank urged scout Roy Partee to give him a look. The $7,000 bonus brought the California left-hander into professional baseball in 1964. His mother had called him Tugger as an infant because of the way he nursed, and he insisted on Tug even when his kindergarten teacher called the name Frank. Across 19 major league seasons with New York and Philadelphia, he recorded 180 saves. His shout of "Ya Gotta Believe" became the Mets' rallying cry in 1973. In 1980, he struck out Willie Wilson to end the World Series and secure the Phillies' first championship. McGraw later worked as a television sports reporter in Philadelphia. He died of brain cancer in 2004; his son Tim became a country singer.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 305 | 6 | 70 | 167 | 34 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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 Tug McGraw in this set: #163 Tug McGraw
Team card: #362 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #16 Mike Jorgensen
- #31 Cleon Jones
- #32 Cleon Jones In Action
- #53 Bud Harrelson
- #54 Bud Harrelson In Action
- #91 1971 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders
- #93 1971 N.L. Pitching Leaders
- #95 1971 N.L. Strikeout Leaders
- #105 Gary Gentry
- #127 Duffy Dyer
- #141 Mets 1972 Rookie Stars
- #163 Tug McGraw
- #181 Ed Kranepool
- #182 Ed Kranepool In Action
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #164 card?
It is card #164 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tug McGraw of the New York Mets. This is one of the 72 In Action cards, each numbered right after the same man's card, in six blocks of twelve even numbers, one per series: #32-54, #164-186, #292-314, #426-448, #552-574 and #692-714 (#34 Billy Martin follows his #33 manager card). The backs of the 24 In Action cards in the fifth and sixth series piece together into pictures of Joe Torre and Carl Yastrzemski (fifth series) and Tony Oliva and Tom Seaver (sixth).
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.