1968 Topps #543 Bob Lee
About Bob Lee
1968 Topps #543, a high number from the set's seventh print series, shows Lee with the Cincinnati Reds in what proved to be his final big-league card. He went 2-4 with a 5.10 ERA over 44 games that season, his last in the major leagues, closing out a career built mostly on relief work out of the Angels bullpen.
Robert Dean Lee was a right-handed relief pitcher from Ottumwa, Iowa, who reached the majors in 1964 with the Los Angeles Angels after eight seasons in the minors. Signed originally by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1956, he broke in with a scoreless relief inning against Washington and closed out his rookie year 6-5 with a 1.51 ERA and a personal-best 111 strikeouts. He followed with a 9-7, 1.92 ERA season in 1965 that earned him an All-Star selection, then went 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 1966. Across those three seasons he ranked among the American League's busiest relievers in saves, appearances and games finished, and he set a since-broken franchise mark with 21 consecutive scoreless innings. Traded to the Dodgers before 1967, he pitched only briefly there before Cincinnati purchased his contract. He closed his career with the Reds in 1968. Lee also pitched winter ball in Venezuela and later threw out a ceremonial first pitch for the Angels in 2011.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 328 | 5 | 102 | 170 | 33 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 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. Slabs of the yellow team-letter #49 and #66 are 1968 Milton Bradley game cards and are not counted here.
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Related cards
Team card: #574 Cincinnati Reds
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #23 Chico Cardenas
- #48 Ted Davidson
- #74 Milt Pappas
- #90 Vada Pinson
- #108 Don Pavletich
- #130 Tony Perez
- #133 Fred Whitfield
- #148 Dave Bristol
- #171 Don Nottebart
- #196 Gary Nolan
- #213 Chico Ruiz
- #230 Pete Rose
- #247 Reds 1968 Rookie Stars
- #264 Ted Abernathy
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #543 card?
It is card #543 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Lee of the Cincinnati Reds.
Is 1968 Topps #543 a scarce card?
It is a high number card from the seventh print series, #534-598, by the checklist-card division. The last two series together (#458-598) carry only a modest premium; no short-print list exists.
How many cards are in the 1968 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 606 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 without a gap and no printed number carries two different cards; eight cards - six of the seven checklists, #10 AL Pitching Leaders and #400 Mike McCormick - carry a catalogued print variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball Almanac, Beckett, 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.