1967 Topps #51 Astros Rookie Stars - Dave Adlesh / Wes Bales
On this card: Dave Adlesh, Wes Bales
About this card
This is one of the 43 Rookie Stars cards in the set, each pairing two prospects. Thirty-nine are titled by club; #569, #576, #587 and #592 carry a league title and cover two clubs each.
The story on this card
In 1967 Adlesh appeared in 39 games and hit .181, with his lone career home run. That June 18 he caught the first of Don Wilson's two career no-hitters. His 1967 Topps card, #51, is a multi-player Rookie Stars subset issue from the set's first series, splitting the panel with fellow Houston prospect Wes Bales; it is a recognized rookie card for Adlesh. A defense-minded catcher who spent his whole career with the Colt .45's/Astros, Dave Adlesh is best remembered for catching Don Wilson's first career no-hitter on June 18, 1967.
Traded to Houston that winter, Bales opened 1967 behind Joe Morgan and Sonny Jackson before a slow April sent him back to Double-A. Recalled in late July when Jackson was hurt, he had his best big-league day on July 30, going 2-for-3, then closed with a September stint that included his first career RBI off Jerry Koosman and a season-ending sacrifice fly. He finished 3-for-27 (.111) in 19 games with two RBIs, mostly at second base; the Astros removed him from the 40-man roster that November. A switch-hitting Braves and Astros infielder whose glove outran his bat in two brief big-league trials before he built a career as a Houston investment adviser.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dave Adlesh) · Wikipedia (Lee Bales) · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 375 | 2 | 65 | 178 | 89 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| SGC | 14 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 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. PSA registers a row for every one of the 624 states; SGC lists no separate row for the #149 white-streak state.
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Related cards
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- #28 Barry Latman
- #73 Rusty Staub
- #97 Mike Cuellar
- #136 Carroll Sembera
- #166 Ed Mathews
- #172 Bill Heath
- #190 Turk Farrell
- #212 Chris Zachary
- #231 John Bateman
- #234 National League 1966 ERA Leaders
- #274 Bob Aspromonte
- #298 Ron Davis
- #318 Dave Giusti
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1967 Topps #51 card?
It is card #51 of the 609-card 1967 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Adlesh and Wes Bales. This is one of the 43 Rookie Stars cards in the set, each pairing two prospects. Thirty-nine are titled by club; #569, #576, #587 and #592 carry a league title and cover two clubs each.
Is 1967 Topps #51 a rookie card?
Yes - #51 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Dave Adlesh and Wes Bales.
How many cards are in the 1967 Topps Baseball set?
609 cards, tracked as 624 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 609 without a gap - no number was skipped and none was used twice - and 15 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-12.