1969 Topps #605 Dick Ellsworth


About Dick Ellsworth
His last card of the decade, #605, is a seventh-series high number listing him with Cleveland, which acquired him on April 19, 1969 along with Ken Harrelson and Juan Pizarro after two starts back in Boston. The back belongs to 1968: a 16-7 record and 3.03 ERA, the most wins by a Red Sox left-hander in 15 years, and a share of the club lead with Ray Culp.
Richard Clark Ellsworth was born March 22, 1940, in Lusk, Wyoming, and grew up in Fresno, California, where he went 15-0 as a senior on a Fresno High staff that also produced Jim Maloney and Pat Corrales. Cubs scout Gene Handley signed him in June 1958, outbidding the Phillies, and the 18-year-old left-hander made his major-league debut nine days later, at Cincinnati on June 22. Back for good in 1960, he held a Cubs rotation spot for seven seasons: 20 losses in 1962, then 22 wins the next summer, the first Cubs 20-game winner in 18 years, which brought the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award and induction into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame. He was an All-Star in 1964. Traded to Philadelphia for Ray Culp, he later pitched for the Red Sox, Indians and Brewers and retired in 1971 at 115-137 with a 3.72 ERA and 1,140 strikeouts over 13 seasons. He sold real estate in Fresno, bought into the Fresno Grizzlies, and died there on October 10, 2022. His son Steve pitched for the Red Sox.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 186 | 3 | 38 | 102 | 29 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 8 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 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.
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Related cards
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #7 American League 1968 ERA Leaders
- #9 American League 1968 Pitching Leaders
- #11 American League 1968 Strikeout Leaders
- #19 Ken Suarez
- #61 Jimmie Hall
- #91 Al Dark
- #118 Stan Williams
- #145 Max Alvis
- #176 Joe Azcue
- #201 Russ Snyder
- #220 Sam McDowell
- #244 Indians 1969 Rookie Stars
- #267 Vicente Romo
- #291 Vern Fuller
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #605 card?
It is card #605 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dick Ellsworth of the Cleveland Indians.
Why is #605 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last print series, #589-664 - the scarce end of the set.
How many cards are in the 1969 Topps Baseball set?
664 cards, tracked as 696 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 664 with none skipped and no printed number shared by two cards; 32 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately, 23 of them the yellow- and white-letter name pairs of #440-511.
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 2026-10-12.