1969 Topps #273 Ron Willis
About Ron Willis
Card #273 is a Cardinals single from the set's third print series, issued during what became his last season with St. Louis. Pitching through a sore elbow, Willis made 26 relief appearances before he was optioned to Double-A Tulsa in July; the Astros purchased him that August, St. Louis reacquired him in November, and a trade sent him to the San Diego Padres in June 1970.
Ron Willis was a sidearm right-handed reliever who spent parts of five seasons in the majors, 1966 to 1970, almost entirely out of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen before finishing with the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. A Kirkwood, Missouri high school standout who signed with the Cardinals after leading his team to a state title, Willis climbed the minor-league chain as an outfielder-turned-pitcher and reached St. Louis in September 1966. He became a durable, sinkerball setup man on the Cardinals' back-to-back pennant winners, pitching in three World Series games in both 1967 and 1968. Known in the clubhouse for his self-deprecating humor about his receding jawline, Willis battled elbow trouble that shortened his career after 1970. He finished 11-12 with a 3.32 ERA and 19 saves in 188 games, all in relief, and died in 1977 at age 34.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 194 | 2 | 17 | 87 | 56 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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 St. Louis Cardinals cards:
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- #10 National League 1968 Pitching Leaders
- #12 National League 1968 Strikeout Leaders
- #18 Dick Schofield
- #39 Dick Hughes
- #60 Nelson Briles
- #85 Lou Brock
- #110 Mike Shannon
- #136 Cardinals 1969 Rookie Stars
- #160 Vada Pinson
- #162 World Series Game #1 - Gibson Fans 17; Sets New Record!
- #164 World Series Game #3 - McCarver's Homer Puts St. Louis Ahead
- #165 World Series Game #4 - Brock's Lead-Off HR Starts Cards' Romp
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #273 card?
It is card #273 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ron Willis of the St. Louis Cardinals.
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.