1966 Topps #394 Ron Brand
About Ron Brand
Ron Brand's 1966 Topps card, number 394 in the fifth series, shows him back with the Houston Astros after John Bateman reclaimed the starting catching job that season. Brand settled into a backup role, appearing in 56 games and batting .244 with 10 RBI, splitting his time mostly behind the plate with occasional appearances at second base. The card documents a Houston catching corps in transition as the two backstops traded the primary job year to year.
Ron Brand, born January 13, 1940, in Los Angeles, was a right-handed catcher who played eight major league seasons from 1963 to 1971. Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent out of North Hollywood High School, he spent five years in Pittsburgh's farm system before debuting in 1963. Selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1964 Rule 5 draft, Brand became a fixture of the Astros' catching corps through 1968, sharing duties in a season-to-season platoon with John Bateman. The Montreal Expos then drafted Brand in the 1968 expansion draft, and he resumed his partnership with Bateman as an original member of the new franchise. In his final Montreal seasons his role shifted toward utility infield work. Over 568 career games, Brand batted .239 with 3 home runs and 106 RBI. He later managed in the California League before retiring from professional baseball.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 304 | 11 | 70 | 156 | 49 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 8 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 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. Where SGC registers no separate row for a variation state, its slabs of that card are listed under the base state.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1966 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
More Houston Astros cards:
- #21 Don Nottebart
- #45 Jim Gentile
- #64 Bob Bruce
- #86 John Bateman
- #106 Rusty Staub
- #122 Joe Gaines
- #147 Lum Harris
- #162 Lee Maye
- #174 Ron Taylor
- #195 Joe Morgan
- #228 Larry Dierker
- #244 Astros 1966 Rookie Stars
- #258 Dave Giusti
- #273 Astro Aces
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1966 Topps #394 card?
It is card #394 of the 598-card 1966 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ron Brand of the Houston Astros.
How many cards are in the 1966 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 613 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no number used twice, and 14 cards carry catalogued print variations - five checklists, the trade and sold statement backs, the three-state #43 Don Landrum, three team-card dot pairs and the #161 Jerry Lumpe white streak - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, 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.