1963 Topps #231 Eli Grba
Uncorrected error: The photograph on the front is of pitcher Ryne Duren, not Eli Grba.
About Eli Grba
Grba's last big league season was a short one: 12 appearances, 17.1 innings, a 1-2 record and a 4.67 earned run average, with his final major league outing coming on August 4, 1963. Los Angeles shopped him without finding a taker, then sold him to the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League. Card #231 belongs to the third print series, and the player pictured on the front is not Grba at all but fellow pitcher Ryne Duren.
Eli Grba was a right-handed pitcher born August 9, 1934 in Chicago to Serbian immigrants Joseph and Eva Grba. His father left early and his mother raised him alone, waiting tables by day and working a factory shift at night. He starred in three sports at Bowen High School on the South Side, and after graduating in 1952 he signed with the Boston Red Sox, who had scouted him through Chuck Koney. Boston sent him to the New York Yankees in March 1957, trading him with outfielder Gordon Windhorn for Bill Renna, and the Army took the next two years before he reached the majors on July 10, 1959. He pitched for New York in 1959 and 1960 and got into one game of the 1960 World Series as a pinch runner. Left unprotected that winter, he became the first player ever chosen in a major league expansion draft when the Los Angeles Angels called his name, and he started the first game in Angels history. He pitched for Los Angeles through 1963, then wound down in the minors with a 1966 stop in the Mexican League, and later scouted, coached and managed in the minors until 1997. He finished 28-33 with a 4.48 ERA, and died January 14, 2019.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 225 | 0 | 13 | 94 | 97 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-09-24. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #39 Los Angeles Angels
More Los Angeles Angels cards:
- #4 1962 American League Home Run Leaders
- #6 1962 American League E.R.A. Leaders
- #17 Ryne Duren
- #33 Bo Belinsky
- #57 Billy Moran
- #98 George Thomas
- #114 Dan Osinski
- #117 Jacke Davis
- #167 Jim Fregosi
- #169 1963 Rookie Stars
- #182 Albie Pearson
- #207 Ken Hunt
- #249 Leo Burke
- #280 Bob Rodgers
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #231 card?
It is card #231 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Eli Grba of the Los Angeles Angels.
Is the photo on #231 really Eli Grba?
No. The photograph is of pitcher Ryne Duren, whose own card is #17. Topps never corrected it, so every copy of #231 carries the wrong picture.
Does 1963 Topps #231 have an error?
The photograph on the front is of pitcher Ryne Duren, not Eli Grba.
How many cards are in the 1963 Topps Baseball set?
576 cards, tracked as 583 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 576 with no gaps and no number used twice, and seven cards carry a catalogued print variation - three checklists, the two Rookie Stars cards also printed with a "1962" heading, and the #341 Jack Baldschun and #454 Art Fowler print states - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, The Topps Archives, 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 2026-10-03.