1970 Topps #279 Bill Lee
About Bill Lee
Lee's rookie card, #279, arrived in the third series with the Boston Red Sox. He pitched in 11 games in 1970 and went 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA, because his Army Reserve duty kept him on active service from June 1 to October 1. That made him the last Red Sox player to miss time during the season for military obligation.
Bill Lee was a left-handed pitcher who worked for the Boston Red Sox from 1969 to 1978 and the Montreal Expos from 1979 to 1982, finishing 119-90 with a 3.62 ERA. A USC product on the 1968 College World Series winner, he lacked a good fastball and leaned on off-speed pitches, including his own slow, arcing take on the eephus that he called the Leephus pitch. Used almost entirely in relief for four seasons, he moved into the rotation in 1973, went 17-11 and made the American League All-Star team, then won 17 games in each of the next two years. He started two games of the 1975 World Series against Cincinnati. He was nicknamed Spaceman by former Red Sox infielder John Kennedy, and his outspoken, countercultural opinions were frequently recorded in the press. A feud with manager Don Zimmer led to his trade to Montreal after 1978, and he was released by the Expos in 1982 after a one-game walkout over the release of Rodney Scott. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 242 | 5 | 41 | 130 | 37 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. 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
Team card: #563 Boston Red Sox
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- #39 Mike Nagy
- #62 1969 American League Batting Leaders
- #78 Joe Lahoud
- #104 Gerry Moses
- #116 Sparky Lyle
- #144 Ray Culp
- #163 Syd O'Brien
- #191 Vicente Romo
- #215 Reggie Smith
- #237 Russ Gibson
- #251 Dick Schofield
- #317 Red Sox 1970 Rookie Stars
- #340 Tony Conigliaro
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #279 card?
It is card #279 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Lee of the Boston Red Sox.
Is 1970 Topps #279 a rookie card?
Yes - #279 is the 1970 Topps rookie card of Bill Lee.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-25.