1971 Topps #233 Larry Bowa
About Larry Bowa
Bowa played 157 games at shortstop for a Phillies club that finished last in the NL East at 67-95. His .249 average came with 11 errors, a major league record low for a shortstop. He ran off 47 straight errorless games from June 4 to July 19 and got the first hit at Veterans Stadium on April 10. Card #233, from the second series, carries the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy cup.
Larry Bowa was a switch-hitting shortstop who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and four for the Chicago Cubs, finishing in 1985 with a month on the New York Mets. He won two Gold Gloves, led the National League in fielding percentage six times, and retired with the league record for career games at shortstop, 2,222. His .991 fielding average in 1979 was a major league record for shortstops when he set it. A five-time All-Star, he hit .305 in 1975 and was in the Phillies lineup for each of their five postseason trips from 1976 to 1981, hitting .375 in the 1980 World Series that gave the franchise its first title. He finished with 2,191 hits and 318 stolen bases. The Phillies signed him for $2,000 in 1965 after scout Eddie Bockman watched him get ejected from both games of a doubleheader. He later managed the San Diego Padres and the Phillies, and was named NL Manager of the Year in 2001.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 479 | 0 | 8 | 153 | 177 | 68 | 33 | 40 | 0 |
| SGC | 50 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 2 |
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: #268 Philadelphia Phillies
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- #23 Oscar Gamble
- #49 Don Money
- #77 Mike Compton
- #92 Fred Wenz
- #119 Frank Lucchesi
- #138 Phillies 1971 Rookie Stars
- #166 Joe Hoerner
- #192 Billy Wilson
- #246 Tony Taylor
- #297 Johnny Briggs
- #323 Billy Champion
- #352 Denny Doyle
- #366 Ron Stone
- #414 Woodie Fryman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #233 card?
It is card #233 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Larry Bowa of the Philadelphia Phillies.
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.