1978 Topps #73 Andy Hassler
About Andy Hassler
A packing accident in spring training put Hassler on the shelf in 1978: he grabbed a falling suitcase, caught a knife instead and needed five stitches in his little finger and about a dozen in his index finger. He did not start until the 30th game, went 1-4 for Kansas City, and was purchased by Boston on July 24, winning that night in Minnesota. Card #73 shows him with the Royals.
Andy Hassler was a 6-foot-5 left-hander who pitched 14 big-league seasons, 1971 to 1985, going 44-71 with a 3.83 ERA and 29 saves. The California Angels drafted him in the 25th round in 1969 out of Palo Verde High School in Tucson, and he debuted at 19 on May 30, 1971, at Yankee Stadium. He spent his early years as a hard-luck starter, lost his first eight decisions and posted a 2.61 ERA for the 1974 Angels, then dropped a club-record 11 straight decisions in 1975. In Kansas City he pitched in the 1976 and 1977 ALCS against the Yankees. Later stops were Boston, the New York Mets, Pittsburgh and a return to the Angels, and he finished with St. Louis in 1985. As a reliever he saved 10 games in 1980, split between Pittsburgh and California, and pitched in the 1982 ALCS. He played for six clubs without ever being traded. Hassler died in Wickenburg, Arizona, on December 25, 2019.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 87 | 6 | 48 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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
Team card: #724 Kansas City Royals Team
More Kansas City Royals cards:
- #19 Darrell Porter
- #46 Al Cowens
- #100 George Brett
- #129 Jim Colborn
- #157 Pete LaCock
- #183 Doug Bird
- #204 1977 Stolen Base Leaders
- #205 1977 Victory Leaders
- #218 Marty Pattin
- #248 Frank White
- #274 Freddie Patek
- #299 Whitey Herzog
- #331 Mark Littell
- #336 Steve Busby
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #73 card?
It is card #73 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Andy Hassler of the Kansas City Royals.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
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.