1970 Topps #271 Greg Goossen
About Greg Goossen
Greg Goossen came to the Seattle Pilots from the Mets in a February 5, 1969 trade and became a featured character in Jim Bouton's Ball Four. Bouton wrote that Goossen was the designated pinch-hitter in a spring-training game against the Indians under an experimental rule. In Bouton's telling, he then became the first Seattle Pilot to say "Play me or trade me." His 1970 Topps card, #271 in the third series, shows him with the Pilots. He opened 1970 as Milwaukee's first baseman before Washington bought him on July 14.
Greg Goossen, born in Los Angeles, starred in football and baseball at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks before the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him out of high school. The Mets picked him up through the waiver process in 1965, and he spent parts of six major league seasons as a catcher and first baseman with the Mets, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington Senators. His best stretch came in 1969, when Seattle called him up in late July to platoon at first base opposite Don Mincher; he hit .309 with 10 home runs in 52 games, career highs across the board. Mets manager Casey Stengel's line about the 19-year-old Goossen having a chance to be 29 in ten years became the most quoted remark about him. After his playing career ended, Goossen worked as a boxing trainer for his brother Dan's Ten Goose Boxing, then became actor Gene Hackman's longtime stand-in and occasional bit player, appearing in more than a dozen Hackman films including Unforgiven and The Firm. He died in 2011 at age 65.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 260 | 9 | 49 | 169 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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: #713 Seattle Pilots
More Seattle Pilots cards:
- #2 Diego Segui
- #31 Marty Pattin
- #53 John Kennedy
- #88 Pilots 1970 Rookie Stars
- #111 Mike Hegan
- #134 Danny Walton
- #158 Jerry McNertney
- #185 Don Mincher
- #224 Steve Barber
- #249 Bob Locker
- #289 Gene Brabender
- #323 Wayne Comer
- #359 Phil Roof
- #370 Tommy Harper
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #271 card?
It is card #271 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Greg Goossen of the Seattle Pilots.
Why does this card say Seattle Pilots?
Because the card prints the Seattle Pilots, and it is correct as printed: the franchise played the 1970 season as the Milwaukee Brewers, but thirty 1970 Topps cards print the Pilots - the #713 team card, #556 Dave Bristol's manager card, the #88 Pilots Rookie Stars and twenty-seven player cards. 1970 Topps is the second and last Topps flagship set with Seattle Pilots cards.
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.