1971 Topps #399 Jim French
About Jim French
Jim French set a career high with 69 games for Washington in 1970, catching in 62 of them and hitting .211 with 13 RBI. He broke camp with the Senators in the spring of 1971 and played his last big-league game on May 14, before going back to the minors. His 1971 Topps card is #399, in the fourth series, and shows him with Washington.
Jim French grew up on a dairy farm outside Warren, Ohio, where his grandfather Stub Stiles, a semi-pro catcher, hoped he would become both a big-league backstop and a lawyer. French starred at Ohio University as a dean's-list math major before signing with the Washington Senators in 1963. He reached the majors in September 1965 and made an immediate impression, going 2-for-2 with two walks in his debut against the Angels and hitting .297 in his first 13 games. He never matched that mark again, settling in as a backup catcher known for a strong throwing arm and for calling a good game; he twice led the American League in caught-stealing percentage. Injuries and the presence of Paul Casanova limited his playing time, and French split parts of several seasons between Washington and the minors. He finished a seven-year career with Washington batting .196 with five home runs. After baseball he worked as a securities broker and options trader before earning a law degree in 2001, fulfilling his grandfather's other wish for him.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 306 | 2 | 18 | 141 | 109 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 13 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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 #399 card?
It is card #399 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim French of the Washington Senators.
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.