1971 Topps #116 Ken Sanders
About Ken Sanders
Oakland sent Sanders to Milwaukee on January 15, 1970, in a four-player package for two players. The Brewers used him as their closer that first Milwaukee season, and he went 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA and a club-record 13 saves. Card #116, from the first series, pictures him as a Brewer. In 1971 he was 7-12 with a 1.91 ERA for a last-place team that finished 69-92.
Ken Sanders was a right-handed relief pitcher who spent parts of ten major league seasons, from 1964 to 1976. He pitched for eight clubs: the Athletics in Kansas City and Oakland, the Red Sox, Brewers, Twins, Indians, Angels, Mets and Royals. A St. Louis native, he signed with Kansas City in 1960 after a month at St. Louis University, and he started and relieved in the minors until he became a full-time reliever in 1964. With the Milwaukee Brewers he led all of Major League Baseball in 1971 with 83 appearances, 77 games finished and 31 saves, earning The Sporting News American League Fireman of the Year award. Brewers manager Dave Bristol nicknamed him "Bulldog" for his mound demeanor. Sanders finished his career with a 29-45 record, a 2.97 ERA and 86 saves, and later worked in real estate.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 286 | 0 | 10 | 147 | 104 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #698 Milwaukee Brewers
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- #97 Floyd Wicker
- #149 Mike Hershberger
- #182 Al Downing
- #204 Brewers 1971 Rookie Stars
- #236 Bob Humphreys
- #260 Tommy Harper
- #281 Danny Walton
- #309 Dick Ellsworth
- #334 Roberto Pena
- #353 Carl Taylor
- #372 Lew Krausse
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #116 card?
It is card #116 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ken Sanders of the Milwaukee Brewers.
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.