1972 Topps #280 Willie McCovey
About Willie McCovey
McCovey homered off Houston's Don Wilson on Opening Day in 1972. In the Giants' fourth game, a collision with San Diego's John Jeter at first base fractured his right forearm. He returned after nearly two months and finished with 14 home runs in 81 games. His San Francisco card was 1972 Topps #280, a third-series issue.
Willie McCovey went 4-for-4 with two triples off Robin Roberts in his major league debut on July 30, 1959. He hit .354 with 13 home runs in 52 games and won National League Rookie of the Year. The Giants had signed him at a Florida tryout camp in 1955, after scout Alex Pompez followed a recommendation from Mobile playground director Jesse Thomas. McCovey's height and long arms earned the first baseman the nickname 'Stretch.' He played 22 major league seasons, 19 of them with San Francisco, and also played for San Diego and Oakland. A six-time All-Star, he homered off both John Odom and Denny McLain in the 1969 All-Star Game and won its MVP award. He retired in 1980 with 521 home runs, 1,555 RBI and a .270 average. The Giants retired his number 44, and he entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 on the first ballot. The inlet beyond the right-field wall at San Francisco's new ballpark was named McCovey Cove in his honor.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,825 | 11 | 200 | 680 | 382 | 226 | 140 | 186 | 0 |
| SGC | 347 | 0 | 15 | 66 | 84 | 69 | 53 | 55 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #280 card?
It is card #280 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants.
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.