1971 Topps #263 John Ellis
About John Ellis
The Topps All-Star Rookie cup on his #263 recognizes the 1970 season, when he and Thurman Munson both made the Topps rookie team. The 1971 season itself brought no regular role: he hit .244 with 3 home runs in 83 games, mostly at first base. After a May 23 brawl with Cleveland he was described as running around punching everyone in sight, and he asked for a trade that winter.
John Ellis was a right-handed catcher and first baseman who played 13 seasons, 1969 to 1981, for the Yankees, Indians and Rangers. A football and baseball star at New London High School in Connecticut, he signed with the Yankees in 1966 and homered inside the park in his first game in 1969. Thurman Munson's arrival moved him to first base, and later he returned behind the plate as Munson's backup. A six-player trade sent him to Cleveland in November 1972, where he became the Indians' first designated hitter and put up his best seasons in 1973 and 1974. Texas acquired him in December 1975. He finished with a .262 average, 69 home runs and 391 RBIs in 883 games. Teammates remembered him as a fighter in brawls, and Gene Michael hung the name Thunder on him after the debut homer. Off the field he built a real estate business and, after his own cancer diagnosis, founded a Connecticut foundation that aids cancer patients. He died in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 324 | 0 | 4 | 103 | 143 | 41 | 20 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 21 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 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: #543 New York Yankees
More New York Yankees cards:
- #5 Thurman Munson
- #28 Ron Klimkowski
- #51 Steve Kline
- #111 Yankees 1971 Rookie Stars
- #131 Curt Blefary
- #146 Ralph Houk
- #184 Stan Bahnsen
- #213 Frank Baker
- #234 Jim Lyttle
- #277 Gary Waslewski
- #303 Lindy McDaniel
- #342 Frank Tepedino
- #358 Danny Cater
- #382 Jake Gibbs
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #263 card?
It is card #263 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Ellis of the New York Yankees.
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.