1971 Topps #40 Lee May
About Lee May
May set his career high with 39 home runs in 1971, third in the National League, while batting .278 with 98 RBI. He made his second All-Star team and was named Reds MVP. On November 29, Cincinnati traded him, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to Houston in the Joe Morgan deal. His first-series Topps card, #40, listed him with the Reds.
Lee May was a right-handed first baseman and designated hitter for the Reds, Astros, Orioles and Royals. He hit 354 home runs and drove in 1,244 runs across 18 major-league seasons, batting .267. From 1968 through 1978, he reached both 20 homers and 80 RBI every year. Teammate Tommy Helms gave him the nickname "the Big Bopper from Birmingham," later shortened to "the Big Bopper." May signed with Cincinnati for $12,000 after playing three sports at Parker High School. Tampa manager Johnny Vander Meer converted him from the outfield to first base. After retiring as a player, May became Kansas City's hitting coach and was on the staff of its 1985 World Series championship team.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 391 | 1 | 18 | 186 | 126 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 17 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 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: #357 Cincinnati Reds
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #14 Dave Concepcion
- #64 1970 National League RBI Leaders
- #66 1970 National League Home Run Leaders
- #68 1970 National League ERA Leaders
- #75 Gary Nolan
- #100 Pete Rose
- #124 Don Gullett
- #164 Reds 1971 Rookie Stars
- #177 Hal McRae
- #190 Bob Tolan
- #199 1970 N.L. Playoffs Game 1: Cline Pinch-Triple Decides It!
- #200 1970 N.L. Playoffs Game 2: Tolan Scores For Third Time!
- #201 1970 N.L. Playoffs Game 3: Cline Scores Winning Run!
- #202 1970 N.L. Playoffs: Reds Celebrate!
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #40 card?
It is card #40 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Lee May of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.