1971 Topps #101 Les Cain
About Les Cain
Sent back to Toledo to open 1970, Les Cain returned to Detroit when Daryl Patterson left for Army duty, then went 12-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 29 starts. He struck out 156 and walked 98, and a shoulder injury ended his season two weeks early. The 1971 Topps card, #101 in the first series, shows him with the Tigers and carries the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy cup.
Les Cain was a left-handed pitcher who spent his entire four-season career with the Detroit Tigers from 1968 to 1972. Born January 13, 1948, in San Luis Obispo, California, he was the Tigers' fourth-round pick in 1966 and reached the majors at age 20, making Detroit's Opening Day roster in 1968. In 1970 he set a Tigers rookie record for strikeouts, and in 1971 he went 10-9. On August 28, 1971, Cain hit the last home run by a Tigers pitcher before the American League adopted the designated hitter, a distinction that stood for decades. A shoulder injury ended his career in 1972; he made five starts and then went on the 21-day disabled list. He finished 23-19 with a 3.98 ERA and 303 strikeouts. Off the mound, Cain later won a landmark workers' compensation case against the Tigers over the arm injury.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 351 | 0 | 9 | 145 | 137 | 39 | 12 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 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: #336 Detroit Tigers
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #3 Dick McAuliffe
- #39 Tigers 1971 Rookie Stars
- #71 1970 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #86 Mike Kilkenny
- #120 Willie Horton
- #133 Mickey Lolich
- #154 Cesar Gutierrez
- #180 Al Kaline
- #208 Billy Martin
- #229 Jim Hannan
- #265 Jim Northrup
- #296 Tom Timmermann
- #316 Fred Scherman
- #367 Dalton Jones
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #101 card?
It is card #101 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Les Cain of the Detroit Tigers.
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.