1975 Topps #397 Bill Freehan
About Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan signed with his hometown Detroit Tigers in 1961 after starring at the University of Michigan, where he played catcher and linebacker on scholarship. He became Detroit's full-time catcher in 1963 and quickly established himself as the American League's premier backstop, earning five straight Gold Gloves (1965-69) and ten consecutive All-Star selections. His finest season came in 1968, when he anchored a pitching staff featuring Denny McLain's 31 wins and World Series MVP Mickey Lolich, blocked the plate to preserve a pivotal Game 5 lead, and caught the final out as Detroit beat St. Louis in the World Series. He finished runner-up to McLain in AL MVP voting that year. Freehan set career records for putouts, total chances, and fielding percentage that stood for decades, and his 200 home runs trailed only Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey among AL catchers at his retirement. After splitting 1974 between catcher and first base, he moved back behind the plate for his eleventh and final All-Star nod in 1975, the season pictured on card #397. He retired in 1976 having earned the most All-Star selections of any player left out of the 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 | 326 | 6 | 77 | 191 | 33 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #397 card?
It is card #397 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Freehan.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-10-05.