1968 Topps #213 Chico Ruiz
About Chico Ruiz
Card #213 reports the busiest year of Ruiz's career: 105 games in 1967, with a .220 average, 13 RBI and 9 steals in 250 at-bats. Leo Cardenas broke a finger that summer, Ruiz filled in at shortstop, then slid to second base for two weeks while Tommy Helms covered short, and the grind produced his best-known line, a joking "Bench me or trade me" aimed at manager Dave Bristol. The third-series number also sits on top of an oddity: on August 28, 1967, Ruiz pinch-hit for Johnny Bench in the ninth of a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia at Crosley Field, Bench's major-league debut, and flied out to left. Nobody ever pinch-hit for Bench again.
Chico Ruiz was born Giraldo Sablon Ruiz on December 5, 1938, in Santo Domingo, Cuba, where his father ran a cigar factory. American paperwork rendered the first name Hiraldo after his father's Spanish pronunciation was misheard at immigration, and "Chico" was a generic Spanish "buddy" pinned on him by Americans. He signed with Cincinnati in 1958 through the Cuban pipeline that ran between Reds general manager Gabe Paul and Bobby Maduro of the Havana Sugar Kings, spent six seasons in the farm system, and led his league in stolen bases five years running, from 61 for Visalia in 1959 through 50 for San Diego in 1963. A switch-hitting utility infielder who played mainly second base and third, Ruiz debuted April 13, 1964, and hit .240 with 34 steals over 565 games for Cincinnati (1964-1969) and California (1970-1971). His signature moment came September 21, 1964, when he stole home off Art Mahaffey with Frank Robinson batting, the only run of a 1-0 win that touched off the Phillies' ten-game collapse. He died in a single-car crash near his San Diego home on February 9, 1972, at 33.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 327 | 14 | 97 | 149 | 33 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1968 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: #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
- #230 Pete Rose
- #247 Reds 1968 Rookie Stars
- #264 Ted Abernathy
- #283 Mel Queen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #213 card?
It is card #213 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Chico Ruiz of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.