Manufacturer: Topps
Set: 1973 Topps Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Steve Busby, Dick Colpaert & George Medich
Position/Team: Pitchers
Card #: 608
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Steve Busby was a phenomenal right-handed pitcher who burned incredibly bright at the start of his career before injuries cut his playing days short. Spending his entire 8-year Major League career (1972–1980) with the Kansas City Royals, Busby was the franchise’s first true homegrown pitching ace, leaving an undeniable legacy in the team’s record books.
A standout talent out of USC, Busby was selected by the Royals in the second round of the 1971 draft. He wasted no time making his presence felt in the big leagues, achieving historical milestones before most pitchers even settle into a rotation.
On April 27, 1973, in just his tenth career Major League start, Busby tossed a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers. In doing so, he became the first pitcher in baseball history to throw a no-hitter within their first ten career starts. He finished his official rookie campaign with 16 wins. Proving the first one was no fluke, Busby threw a second no-hitter on June 19, 1974, shutting down the California Angels. He became the first pitcher ever to throw no-hitters in each of their first two full big-league seasons. 1974 was Busby’s absolute masterpiece. He earned an All-Star nod, threw 20 complete games, and won 22 games over a staggering 292.1 innings pitched.
He made a second consecutive All-Star appearance in 1975, winning 18 games. Unfortunately, his massive early workload caught up to him. In 1976, Busby became the first known medical case of a baseball player undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Though he bravely fought his way back to pitch a few more partial seasons, he was never the same dominant force, retiring in 1980 at age 31.
Busby’s official rookie card resides in this 1973 Topps mid-series run. He shares the “Rookie Pitchers” trio layout with Dick Colpaert and George “Doc” Medich (who went on to have a solid career with the Yankees).
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
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