1971 Topps #540 Larry Dierker
About Larry Dierker
Dierker went 12-6 with a 2.72 ERA in 24 games in 1971. He struck out 91 batters in 159 innings and threw 2 shutouts. He made the All-Star team, but an elbow injury ended his season after August. His 1971 Topps card is #540, from the fifth series, and pictures him with the Astros.
Lawrence Edward Dierker signed with the Houston Colt .45s at 17, winning a bidding war with other clubs, and struck out Willie Mays in his major-league debut on his 18th birthday in 1964. A right-hander, he pitched for Houston through 1976 and twice made the National League All-Star team, in 1969 and 1971. In 1969 he became the club's first 20-game winner, with a 2.33 ERA and 20 complete games. On July 9, 1976 he no-hit the Montreal Expos at the Astrodome. He finished with 139 career wins over 14 seasons and was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. Dierker was an Astros broadcaster from 1979 to 1996 and again in 2004 and 2005. From 1997 to 2001 he managed the club to four NL Central division titles in five years.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 526 | 3 | 24 | 333 | 136 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 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: #722 Houston Astros
More Houston Astros cards:
- #18 Norm Miller
- #44 Johnny Edwards
- #79 Wade Blasingame
- #102 Astros 1971 Rookie Stars
- #130 Denis Menke
- #148 John Mayberry
- #162 Jack Billingham
- #222 Bob Watson
- #237 Cesar Cedeno
- #242 Jim Ray
- #264 Joe Morgan
- #291 George Culver
- #312 Harry Walker
- #337 Jesus Alou
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #540 card?
It is card #540 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Larry Dierker of the Houston Astros.
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.