1971 Topps #231 Indians Rookie Stars - Vince Colbert / John Lowenstein
On this card: Vince Colbert, John Lowenstein
About this card
This is one of the 44 Rookie Stars cards in the 1971 Topps set, each carrying two or three players under a club, league or position title. All 44 count as rookie cards.
The story on this card
Colbert's one full big-league season came in 1971, when he appeared in 50 games for an Indians club that lost 102. He went 7-6 with a 3.97 ERA and was one of only three Cleveland pitchers with a winning record. His #231 is a Rookie Stars card in the second series of the 1971 Topps set, shared with John Lowenstein, and it is a rookie card for both men. Washington-born right-hander who pitched 95 games for the Cleveland Indians from 1970 to 1972, going 9-14 with a 4.57 ERA. The first African-American athletic scholarship recipient at East Carolina, he entered its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
Lowenstein shares #231 in the second series with fellow Cleveland prospect Vince Colbert, and it is a rookie card for both. He had hit .256 in 17 games after a September 1970 call-up from Triple-A Wichita. In 1971 he returned to Wichita in late May, was recalled in August, and finished with 58 games and a .186 average, starting 25 at second base. John Lowenstein was an outfielder for the Indians, Rangers and Orioles from 1970 to 1985, a left-field platooner under Earl Weaver who hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run in the 1979 ALCS and won a World Series ring with Baltimore in 1983.
Sources: Wikipedia (Vince Colbert) · Wikipedia (John Lowenstein) · SABR BioProject · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 274 | 0 | 3 | 100 | 122 | 30 | 12 | 6 | 1 |
| SGC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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: #584 Cleveland Indians
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #24 Rich Hand
- #41 Rick Austin
- #71 1970 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #87 Jack Heidemann
- #107 Roy Foster
- #125 Ray Fosse
- #150 Sam McDowell
- #172 Duke Sims
- #211 Phil Hennigan
- #252 Eddie Leon
- #275 Vada Pinson
- #294 Steve Dunning
- #324 Graig Nettles
- #347 Ted Uhlaender
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #231 card?
It is card #231 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Vince Colbert and John Lowenstein. This is one of the 44 Rookie Stars cards in the 1971 Topps set, each carrying two or three players under a club, league or position title. All 44 count as rookie cards.
Is 1971 Topps #231 a rookie card?
Yes - #231 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Vince Colbert and John Lowenstein.
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.