1978 Topps #172 Mike Hargrove
About Mike Hargrove
A season-long slump held Hargrove to .251 with 7 home runs in 1978, though he led the American League with 107 walks. He hurt his left ankle on September 16 jumping back to first against Oakland's Matt Keough and missed the final two weeks. Texas traded him to San Diego on October 25. His 1978 Topps card is #172 and shows him with the Rangers.
Mike Hargrove was a left-handed first baseman who hit .290 with 80 home runs and 686 RBI over 12 seasons, the first five with the Texas Rangers and the last seven with Cleveland, and later a manager for 16 years. A 25th-round pick in 1972 out of semipro ball in Liberal, Kansas, he made the Rangers in 1974 and won American League Rookie of the Year with a .323 average, the first Ranger so honored. He made the 1975 All-Star team. His batter's-box routine of adjusting helmet, glove and sleeves between pitches earned him the nickname the Human Rain Delay. After a 1979 that began in San Diego, he stayed in the Cleveland organization for two decades as a player, coach and manager. As Indians manager from 1991 he won five straight AL Central titles from 1995 to 1999 and pennants in 1995 and 1997, then managed Baltimore (2000-2003) and Seattle (2005-2007) for a career record of 1,188-1,173.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 131 | 6 | 59 | 39 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #659 Texas Rangers Team
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- #67 Claudell Washington
- #92 Adrian Devine
- #110 Richie Zisk
- #131 Bert Blyleven
- #146 Doyle Alexander
- #209 Dock Ellis
- #238 Juan Beniquez
- #260 Bert Campaneris
- #290 Willie Horton
- #314 Paul Lindblad
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- #362 Dave May
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #172 card?
It is card #172 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Hargrove of the Texas Rangers.
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.