1979 Topps #655 Jerry Koosman
About Jerry Koosman
Koosman struck out 160 in 235 1/3 innings for the Mets in 1978, and his 1979 Topps #655 still carried New York's name. With Minnesota, he won his first seven decisions. He ended the season by shutting out Milwaukee 5-0 at Metropolitan Stadium on September 30, finishing with a 3.38 ERA.
Jerry Koosman pitched 19 major league seasons (1967-1985) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, finishing 222-209 with a 3.36 ERA and 2,556 strikeouts. A Minnesota farm kid, he was pitching for an Army team at Fort Bliss, Texas, when his catcher's father, a Shea Stadium usher, passed word to Mets farm director Joe McDonald, and Koosman signed in 1964 for a $1,600 bonus. A slider learned from instructor Frank Lary kept him in the organization, and in 1968 the hard-throwing left-hander went 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA, setting franchise records and finishing one vote behind Johnny Bench for National League Rookie of the Year. He made the All-Star team in 1968 and 1969, and in 1969 he pitched behind Tom Seaver as the Mets won the World Series, winning two games against Baltimore. He won 21 games for the Mets in 1976 and 20 for the Twins in 1979 before closing out with Chicago and Philadelphia. The Mets inducted him into their team hall of fame in 1989 and retired his number 36 in 2021.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · SABR Games Project · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 183 | 13 | 106 | 41 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 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: #82 New York Mets / Joe Torre
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- #197 Bob Apodaca
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- #229 Doug Flynn
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #655 card?
It is card #655 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.