1965 Topps #514 Joe Azcue
About Joe Azcue
Card #514, a high number from series seven of the 1965 Topps set, pictures Azcue with the Cleveland Indians. He caught 111 games but the bat went quiet, his average plunging to .230, and he later put the blame squarely on his conditioning, conceding he had simply been too heavy that year at a reported 212 pounds. He had spent the preceding winter working in the Indians' publicity department, where he turned out a tongue-in-cheek bylined column in the Plain Dealer about the negotiation of Joe Azcue's salary.
Jose Joaquin Azcue Lopez, a catcher from Cienfuegos, Cuba, signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1956 and worked his way up through Class D, B and A ball while starring in Cuban League winter ball for the Cienfuegos Elefantes, helping them win back-to-back pennants and a Caribbean Series title. He reached the majors with Cincinnati in August 1960 but hit just .097 in 14 games, and that December the Milwaukee Braves purchased his contract. A year later Milwaukee traded him to the Kansas City Athletics, and in May 1963 Kansas City dealt him to the Cleveland Indians, where he spent parts of seven seasons and became the club's regular catcher. A right-handed hitter and thrower known for a strong arm - in 1966 he threw out 62 percent of attempted base stealers, one of the best single-season rates in major league history - Azcue earned his only All-Star selection in 1968 and led American League catchers in fielding percentage in both 1967 and 1968. Traded to Boston in April 1969, he also played for the California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring in 1972 with a .252 average over eleven seasons. He later managed in the minors and worked for decades in the auto industry.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 457 | 2 | 115 | 236 | 67 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 39 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 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. 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: #481 Cleveland Indians
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- #92 Dick Howser
- #96 Sonny Siebert
- #105 Chico Salmon
- #128 Vic Davalillo
- #145 Luis Tiant
- #166 Indians 1965 Rookie Stars
- #185 Max Alvis
- #235 Chuck Hinton
- #262 Bud Daley
- #283 Fred Whitfield
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- #317 Don McMahon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #514 card?
It is card #514 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Azcue of the Cleveland Indians.
Is 1965 Topps #514 a scarce card?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last series, #507-598. Unlike most 1960s Topps sets the 1965 highs are not scarce as a run - the premium sits on the short-printed cards inside #523-598.
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.