1971 Topps #539 Larry Brown
About Larry Brown
Brown lost the shortstop job in Cleveland to Jack Heidemann in 1970, and his #539, in the fifth series, still lists him with the Indians. On April 24, 1971, Cleveland sold him to Oakland for an estimated $50,000, and he hit .201 in 83 games between the two clubs.
Larry Brown was an infielder who played twelve major league seasons, 1963 through 1974, with a rifle arm and sure hands. Signed by Cleveland out of a Lake Worth, Florida high school, he worked his way up through the minors before debuting with the Indians in 1963. He spent most of his career at shortstop and second base for Cleveland, later moving around the infield as a veteran utilityman for Oakland, Baltimore, and Texas. Cleveland beat reporter Hal Lebovitz called his fieldwork acrobatic and flashy, and Brown had a reputation as a player's player with a team-oriented attitude. In the Cleveland clubhouse he and teammates Fred Whitfield and Chuck Hinton were known to strum guitars and sing country music. In 1973 he reached the postseason with Baltimore, taking over at third base for Brooks Robinson in the final inning of ALCS Game Two. He retired after the 1974 season, having played 1,129 games. He hit .233 for his career with 47 home runs and 254 RBI.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 248 | 0 | 3 | 77 | 104 | 39 | 19 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 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: #584 Cleveland Indians
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #24 Rich Hand
- #41 Rick Austin
- #71 1970 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #87 Jack Heidemann
- #107 Roy Foster
- #125 Ray Fosse
- #150 Sam McDowell
- #172 Duke Sims
- #211 Phil Hennigan
- #231 Indians 1971 Rookie Stars
- #252 Eddie Leon
- #275 Vada Pinson
- #294 Steve Dunning
- #324 Graig Nettles
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #539 card?
It is card #539 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Larry Brown of the Cleveland Indians.
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.