1973 Topps #38 Mike Epstein
About Mike Epstein
Epstein hit 26 home runs for the 1972 Athletics, third in the American League, and finished 16th in the MVP voting. He homered in the ALCS against Detroit, then went hitless in 16 at-bats as Oakland beat Cincinnati in the World Series. The A's traded him to Texas for Horacio Pina on December 1, 1972. Card #38, from print series 1, shows him with Oakland.
Mike Epstein was a power-hitting first baseman from the Bronx who starred at Fairfax High and the University of California, Berkeley before giving up football for baseball. Rival manager Rocky Bridges tagged him "Super Jew" during an MVP minor league season at Stockton, and Topps and The Sporting News both named him Minor League Player of the Year after he hit 29 home runs with 102 RBI at Rochester in 1966. He broke in with Baltimore in 1966 but was blocked by Boog Powell and dealt to Washington in 1967. Managed by Ted Williams in 1969-70, Epstein posted career highs in batting average, home runs and RBI in 1969. He was traded to Oakland in 1971 and played for the 1972 World Series champion Athletics before moving on to Texas and California. Over nine seasons he hit .244 with 130 home runs. He was later inducted into the United States National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the California Athletics Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 334 | 6 | 165 | 142 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 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 1973 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: #500 Oakland A's
More Oakland Athletics cards:
- #13 George Hendrick
- #60 Ken Holtzman
- #64 1972 Stolen Base Leaders
- #84 Rollie Fingers
- #155 Sal Bando
- #179 A's Field Leaders
- #201 A.L. Playoffs: Hendrick Scores Winning Run
- #203 World Series Game No. 1: Tenace the Menace
- #204 World Series Game No. 2: A's Make It Two Straight
- #206 World Series Game No. 4: Tenace Singles in Ninth
- #207 World Series Game No. 5: Odom Out at Plate
- #209 World Series Game No. 7: Campy Starts Winning Rally
- #210 World Champions (Oakland Athletics)
- #214 Dave Hamilton
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #38 card?
It is card #38 of the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Epstein of the Oakland Athletics.
How many cards are in the 1973 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 679 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, in five series of 132 - #1-132, #133-264, #265-396, #397-528 and the high numbers, #529-660, printed in lower quantities; 19 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fifteen Field Leaders cards, the #20 Stan Bahnsen, #31 Buddy Bell and #504 Earl Williams border-gap pairs and the two #280 Al Kaline printings.
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.