1964 Topps #226 Colts Rookie Stars - Gerald Grote / Larry Yellen
On this card: Gerald Grote, Larry Yellen
About this card
This is one of the fifty-seven two-player Rookie Stars cards in the 1964 Topps set: fifty-three pair two prospects from one club, and the four league cards (#548, #564, #568 and #572) pair prospects from two clubs. Every one of them is a rookie card for at least one of its two players.
The story on this card
In 1964, his second big-league season, Grote platooned behind the plate with John Bateman for Houston, starting 88 games and batting .181 while impressing with his defense, throwing out the first seven of eight would-be base-stealers. This Topps card, number 226 in the third series, is a multi-player Rookie Stars issue shared with Larry Yellen and pictures Grote with the Houston Colt .45's; it is recognized as his rookie card. A durable, defense-first catcher who anchored the Mets' pitching staff through their 1969 championship run and earned two National League All-Star selections over a sixteen-year career.
Larry Yellen's 1964 season was his busiest in the majors: he pitched in 13 games for the Houston Colt .45's, working 21 innings with a 6.86 ERA and 9 strikeouts. His 1964 Topps card, #226, is a Rookie Stars subset issue from the third print series, pairing him with fellow rookie Gerald Grote, both pictured as members of the Houston Colt .45's. It stands as a recognized rookie card for Yellen, capturing him during the season in which he saw his heaviest big-league workload. Right-handed pitcher who debuted with the Houston Colt .45's in 1963 and pitched two seasons in the majors, working 26 innings with 12 strikeouts across 14 games.
Sources: Wikipedia (Jerry Grote) · Wikipedia (Larry Yellen) · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 370 | 3 | 41 | 169 | 94 | 36 | 10 | 11 | 6 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. 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
More Houston Colt .45's cards:
- #23 Chris Zachary
- #38 Jim Wynn
- #56 Hal Brown
- #109 Rusty Staub
- #121 Pete Runnels
- #142 John Bateman
- #158 Ken Johnson
- #179 Carl Warwick
- #205 Nellie Fox
- #241 Jim Owens
- #256 Johnny Weekly
- #282 Bob Bruce
- #298 Harry Craft
- #321 Bob Lillis
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1964 Topps #226 card?
It is card #226 of the 587-card 1964 Topps Baseball set, picturing Gerald Grote and Larry Yellen. This is one of the fifty-seven two-player Rookie Stars cards in the 1964 Topps set: fifty-three pair two prospects from one club, and the four league cards (#548, #564, #568 and #572) pair prospects from two clubs. Every one of them is a rookie card for at least one of its two players.
Is 1964 Topps #226 a rookie card?
Yes - #226 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Gerald Grote and Larry Yellen.
How many cards are in the 1964 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 589 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 587 with no gaps, and no number carries two different cards; two cards - #4, the A.L. Pitching Leaders, and #517, the seventh-series checklist - carry a catalogued back variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, 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 2026-10-11.