1974 Topps #650 Mike Epstein
About Mike Epstein
Mike Epstein opened 1973 with Texas hitting .188 with one home run and six RBI, then went to California on May 20 with Rich Hand and Rick Stelmaszek for Jim Spencer and Lloyd Allen. He finished at .209 with 9 home runs and was hit by pitches 8 times. His 1974 Topps #650 shows him with the California Angels, who released him on May 4, 1974, after 18 games.
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 · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 201 | 3 | 72 | 105 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #114 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #20 Nolan Ryan
- #37 Dave Sells
- #55 Frank Robinson
- #76 Mickey Rivers
- #101 Bobby Valentine
- #139 Aurelio Monteagudo
- #188 Rudy Meoli
- #207 1973 Strikeout Leaders
- #210 Bill Singer
- #243 Bob Oliver
- #276 Angels Field Leaders
- #302 Rudy May
- #323 Richie Scheinblum
- #347 Sandy Alomar
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #650 card?
It is card #650 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Epstein of the California Angels.
How many cards are in the 1974 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 678 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, issued all at once as a single series and printed in equal quantities; 17 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fourteen San Diego / "Washington Nat'l Lea." pairs (thirteen Padres player cards and the #226 team card), the three-state #599 Rookie Pitchers, the #608 Apodaco misspelling and the #654 Jesus Alou front without a position.
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.