1971 Topps #729 Dick Billings
About Dick Billings
Washington's catching job changed hands in July 1971, when manager Ted Williams benched Paul Casanova for weak hitting and gave it to Billings. He caught 62 games and led American League catchers with 16 passed balls. Overall he hit .246 in 116 games. His rookie card is #729, issued in the sixth series with the Washington Senators.
Dick Billings was a right-handed catcher, outfielder and third baseman who played eight seasons for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals between 1968 and 1975. A Detroit native raised in Troy, Michigan, he played at Michigan State and was taken by Washington in the 25th round of the 1965 draft. He reached the majors as a 25-year-old pinch hitter on September 11, 1968, then agreed in 1969 to return to the minors to be converted from outfielder to catcher. A .305 season with 15 home runs for the Denver Bears in 1970 brought a September recall. He finished with a .227 average, 16 home runs and 142 RBI in the majors. After retiring at age 32 he worked as a real-estate broker in Texas and Michigan.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 352 | 1 | 6 | 164 | 130 | 35 | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1971 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #462 Washington Senators
More Washington Senators cards:
- #11 Elliott Maddox
- #33 Del Unser
- #60 Dick Bosman
- #63 1970 American League RBI Leaders
- #65 1970 American League Home Run Leaders
- #82 Casey Cox
- #93 Senators 1971 Rookie Stars
- #139 Paul Casanova
- #167 Tom Grieve
- #217 Ed Stroud
- #241 Dave Nelson
- #261 Darold Knowles
- #283 Dick Such
- #307 Don Wert
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #729 card?
It is card #729 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dick Billings of the Washington Senators.
Is 1971 Topps #729 a rookie card?
Yes - #729 is the 1971 Topps rookie card of Dick Billings.
Why is #729 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the sixth and last print series, #644-752 - the scarce end of the set. Some of its cards were printed in larger numbers than others, so scarcity varies card by card inside the run.
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.