1971 Topps #298 Jim Nelson
About Jim Nelson
Nelson went 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 1970, making 10 starts. Topps gave him a 1971 card, #298 in the third series, as a Pittsburgh Pirate, and it is his rookie card. In 1971 he walked 26 batters in 34 innings, was demoted in July and refused to report to the minors.
Jim Nelson was a right-handed pitcher from Birmingham, Alabama, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 and 1971. The Pirates took him in the 31st round of the 1965 draft. He debuted on May 30, 1970, at Forbes Field, relieving Gene Garber against the San Francisco Giants, striking out Willie Mays, getting Willie McCovey to ground into a double play and finishing with three perfect innings, four strikeouts and a single in his only at-bat. He won his first four decisions that year, a start no Pirates starter matched until Zach Duke in 2005, and he started and won the last game played at Forbes Field, on June 28, 1970. He finished 6-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 games. At the plate he hit .269, with 7 hits in 26 at-bats. He underwent rotator cuff surgery, and his teammates voted him a half-share of their 1971 World Series money. He later worked as a produce salesman and died at his Sacramento home in 2004, aged 57.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 338 | 0 | 18 | 192 | 102 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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: #603 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #2 Dock Ellis
- #27 Pirates 1971 Rookie Stars
- #47 Johnny Jeter
- #62 1970 National League Batting Leaders
- #68 1970 National League ERA Leaders
- #73 George Brunet
- #110 Bill Mazeroski
- #143 Steve Blass
- #168 Bruce Dal Canton
- #212 Rich Hebner
- #230 Willie Stargell
- #255 Bob Robertson
- #282 Jose Pagan
- #343 Pirates 1971 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #298 card?
It is card #298 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jim Nelson of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is 1971 Topps #298 a rookie card?
Yes - #298 is the 1971 Topps rookie card of Jim Nelson.
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.