1971 Topps #640 Frank Robinson
About Frank Robinson
Robinson hit .306 with 25 home runs and 78 RBI in 1970. On June 26 he hit back-to-back grand slams in the fifth and sixth innings of a 12-2 win over the Washington Senators, with the same three runners aboard both times. Baltimore beat the Twins three straight in the ALCS and took the World Series from Cincinnati in five games, Robinson going 6 for 22 with two home runs. Fifth-series card #640 pictures him with the Orioles.
Frank Robinson reached the majors with the Cincinnati Redlegs on April 17, 1956, at age 20, and his 38 home runs that summer tied Wally Berger's 1930 rookie record and carried him to National League Rookie of the Year. He became Cincinnati's franchise player, driving the Reds to the 1961 pennant and winning that year's National League Most Valuable Player award. Reds owner Bill DeWitt, calling him "an old 30," traded him to Baltimore on December 9, 1965, for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson, a deal that became shorthand for a one-sided trade. Robinson answered with the 1966 American League Triple Crown, a unanimous MVP award that made him the first man honored in both leagues, and a World Series MVP as the Orioles swept the Dodgers. Three more pennants and a second title followed by 1971. An All-Star in 12 seasons, he curled his body over the plate and slid in spikes first. He was nicknamed "the Judge" for presiding over Baltimore's clubhouse kangaroo court, and he left the game after 21 seasons with 586 home runs and 2,943 hits. In 1975 he became the majors' first Black manager, with Cleveland, and entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,770 | 0 | 9 | 283 | 643 | 400 | 178 | 252 | 5 |
| SGC | 337 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 71 | 87 | 78 | 56 | 30 |
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: #1 1970 World Champions (Baltimore Orioles)
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #29 Don Buford
- #53 Paul Blair
- #63 1970 American League RBI Leaders
- #67 1970 American League ERA Leaders
- #69 1970 American League Pitching Leaders
- #99 Mark Belanger
- #122 Eddie Watt
- #137 Marcelino Lopez
- #170 Mike Cuellar
- #193 Bob Grich
- #195 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 1: Powell Muscles Twins!
- #196 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 2: McNally Makes It Two Straight!
- #197 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 3: Palmer Mows 'Em Down!
- #198 1970 A.L. Playoffs: Orioles Celebrate!
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #640 card?
It is card #640 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles.
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.