1971 Topps #118 Cookie Rojas
About Cookie Rojas
Rojas thought about retiring after 1970 because his wife was ill, and he came back to the Royals when her health improved. In 1971 he batted .300 with 6 home runs and 59 RBI. He led American League second basemen in fielding at .991, with a 52-game errorless streak, and finished 14th in the MVP voting. Card #118 pictures him with the Royals.
Octavio Victor (Rivas) Rojas was born March 6, 1939, in Havana, Cuba, and signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 at age 17, climbing through their system to the Triple-A Havana Sugar Kings. He debuted in the majors on April 10, 1962, then was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Jim Owens and played infield and outfield for them from 1963 to 1969. Rojas is one of a handful of major leaguers to have played every position on the field, including pitcher, and the only one of that group to make both National League and American League All-Star teams. He was a five-time All-Star, once with the 1965 Phillies and four straight years (1971-1974) with the Kansas City Royals after a brief stop with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over 16 seasons and 1,822 games he batted .263 with 1,660 hits. He added 54 home runs and 593 RBI. He later managed the California Angels, coached for the Cubs, Marlins, Mets and Blue Jays, and broadcast Marlins games. His mother's nickname for him, 'Cuqui,' became 'Cookie' in pro ball. He belongs to Cuba's Baseball Hall of Fame and entered the Royals Hall of Fame in 1987.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 383 | 0 | 8 | 192 | 121 | 42 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 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: #742 Kansas City Royals
More Kansas City Royals cards:
- #17 Billy Sorrell
- #35 Lou Piniella
- #71 1970 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #91 Bob Lemon
- #103 Rich Severson
- #129 Aurelio Monteagudo
- #144 Jackie Hernandez
- #163 Buck Martinez
- #187 Ted Abernathy
- #221 Dave Morehead
- #247 Royals 1971 Rookie Stars
- #269 Gail Hopkins
- #299 Ed Kirkpatrick
- #321 Tom Matchick
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #118 card?
It is card #118 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Cookie Rojas of the Kansas City Royals.
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.