1965 Topps #494 Jay Ritchie
About Jay Ritchie
Ritchie followed his strong rookie season with 44 relief appearances for Boston in 1965, finishing 1-2 while posting the staff's best ERA at 3.17, trailing only Dick Radatz and Arnold Earley in appearances on a Red Sox staff during a 100-loss season. His 1965 Topps card, number 494 from the sixth print series, is his recognized rookie card, picturing him with the Red Sox.
Jay Ritchie was a right-handed relief pitcher from Salisbury, North Carolina who signed with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1955 and spent seven and a half seasons working through the club's farm system before his major league debut in August 1964, already 27 years old. He became a dependable bullpen arm, leading the Red Sox pitching staff in ERA in 1965. Traded to the Atlanta Braves as they prepared for their first season after moving from Milwaukee, he made national headlines in 1966 for picking Willie Mays off first base and went on to lead the club in appearances in 1967. He closed his major league career in 1968 with the Cincinnati Reds. Over five seasons with Boston, Atlanta and Cincinnati he compiled an 8-13 record with a 3.49 ERA across 167 games. Ritchie also pitched winters in the Dominican and Venezuelan leagues for several years. He was later inducted into the Salisbury Rowan Sports Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 223 | 1 | 41 | 101 | 49 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 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. The two checklist variations, #79 and #508, are listed under the wording PSA uses for each state.
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Related cards
Team card: #403 Boston Red Sox
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #5 American League 1964 RBI Leaders
- #29 Felix Mantilla
- #42 Earl Wilson
- #55 Tony Conigliaro
- #74 Red Sox 1965 Rookie Stars
- #88 Jack Lamabe
- #111 Lee Thomas
- #142 Bill Monbouquette
- #147 Dennis Bennett
- #162 Russ Nixon
- #178 Dalton Jones
- #199 Bob Heffner
- #222 Bob Tillman
- #251 Billy Herman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #494 card?
It is card #494 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jay Ritchie of the Boston Red Sox.
Is 1965 Topps #494 a rookie card?
Yes - #494 is the 1965 Topps rookie card of Jay Ritchie.
How many cards are in the 1965 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 600 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no printed-number collisions, and two checklist cards - #79 and #508 - carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, 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.