1965 Topps #473 Orioles Rookie Stars - Paul Blair / Dave Johnson
On this card: Paul Blair, Dave Johnson
Rookie Stars card shared by Paul Blair and Dave Johnson; a rookie card for both.
About this card
This is one of the 55 Rookie Stars cards in the 1965 Topps set, each picturing two to four young players - 126 players in all - under a team banner, except #577 and #581, which carry American League and National League banners over players from three clubs. Joe Morgan (#16), Steve Carlton (#477), Jim (Catfish) Hunter (#526) and Tony Perez (#581) make their Topps debuts on these cards.
The story on this card
Card #473, from the sixth series of the 1965 set, is a Rookie Stars issue Blair shares with fellow Baltimore prospect Dave Johnson, and it is the rookie card of both men. Blair had debuted the previous September, and though nobody named him a starter in spring training, manager Hank Bauer opened 1965 with him in center and said he would hold the job until he played himself out of it. He never did: the bat lagged at .234, but his .992 fielding percentage led the majors' center fielders. Paul Blair patrolled center field for the Baltimore Orioles clubs of the late 1960s, playing shallow and running down fly balls on instinct, winning eight Gold Gloves and helping Baltimore to four pennants and two World Series titles.
Johnson made the Orioles out of spring training in 1965 and spent half a season as a reserve behind Jerry Adair and Brooks Robinson, hitting just .170 in 47 at-bats over 20 games before Baltimore sent him back to Rochester, where he batted .301. His first Topps card is a sixth-series Rookie Stars pairing with Paul Blair; it is the rookie card of both men. Slick-fielding Baltimore second baseman on four pennant winners, a 43-homer season in Atlanta, three Gold Gloves and four All-Star Games, then one of the first managers to run his lineups through a computer.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject (Paul Blair) · SABR BioProject (Davey Johnson)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 796 | 4 | 74 | 278 | 202 | 101 | 65 | 68 | 4 |
| SGC | 87 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1965 Topps 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: #572 Baltimore Orioles
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #1 American League 1964 Batting Leaders
- #3 American League 1964 Home Run Leaders
- #5 American League 1964 RBI Leaders
- #9 American League 1964 Pitching Leaders
- #15 Robin Roberts
- #33 Jackie Brandt
- #49 Orioles 1965 Rookie Stars
- #67 Harvey Haddix
- #94 Charlie Lau
- #113 Steve Barber
- #150 Brooks Robinson
- #169 Dave Vineyard
- #188 Sam Bowens
- #204 Russ Snyder
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #473 card?
It is card #473 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Paul Blair and Dave Johnson. This is one of the 55 Rookie Stars cards in the 1965 Topps set, each picturing two to four young players - 126 players in all - under a team banner, except #577 and #581, which carry American League and National League banners over players from three clubs. Joe Morgan (#16), Steve Carlton (#477), Jim (Catfish) Hunter (#526) and Tony Perez (#581) make their Topps debuts on these cards.
Is 1965 Topps #473 a rookie card?
Yes - #473 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Paul Blair and Dave Johnson.
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.