1971 Topps #333 Clay Kirby
About Clay Kirby
On September 13, 1971, Kirby no-hit Houston for 7 1/3 innings until Johnny Edwards doubled, and the Padres lost 3-2 on two ninth-inning infield errors. Five days later at San Francisco he retired the first 21 Giants before Willie McCovey homered to open the eighth. He finished the year 15-13 with a 2.83 ERA and 231 strikeouts. His 1971 Topps card is #333, from the third series, and shows him with the Padres.
Clayton Laws Kirby Jr. pitched eight major league seasons (1969-1976) for the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Montreal Expos, compiling a 75-104 record with a 3.84 ERA across 261 games. The Washington, D.C. native was chosen by the Padres in the 1968 expansion draft and started 35 games as a rookie. His career totals include 1,548 innings, 1,061 strikeouts and 42 complete games. His signature moment came on July 21, 1970, when he held the New York Mets hitless through eight innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter, a decision some fans and writers later linked to the Padres waiting until 2021 for their first no-hitter. Traded to Cincinnati after the 1973 season, he pitched two years for the Reds, working as a full-time starter in 1974 before shifting to a swingman role on the pennant-winning 1975 Big Red Machine. After baseball he became a financial securities broker and died of a heart attack in 1991 at age 43.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 316 | 2 | 22 | 138 | 121 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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: #482 San Diego Padres
More San Diego Padres cards:
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- #25 Clarence Gaston
- #46 Dave Campbell
- #106 Tom Dukes
- #126 Danny Coombs
- #134 Jose Arcia
- #153 Gary Ross
- #179 Mike Corkins
- #214 Al Ferrara
- #235 Nate Colbert
- #262 Padres 1971 Rookie Stars
- #274 Ron Slocum
- #301 Earl Wilson
- #364 Tommy Dean
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #333 card?
It is card #333 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Clay Kirby of the San Diego Padres.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), 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.