1971 Topps #736 Mel Queen
About Mel Queen
Mel Queen pitched in 44 games for the 1971 Angels, every one in relief. He finished with a 1.78 ERA, 4 saves and 53 strikeouts. California had purchased him in October 1969, and in 1970 he went 3-6 with a 4.20 ERA and nine saves. Card #736 came in the sixth print series, with Queen listed as an Angel.
Melvin Douglas Queen was born March 26, 1942, in Johnson City, New York, the son of former major league pitcher Mel Queen Sr. The family later settled in San Luis Obispo, California, where Queen starred in three sports before signing with the Cincinnati Reds out of high school in 1960. He broke in with Cincinnati in 1964 as an outfielder and pinch hitter, then in 1966 was converted into a pitcher. His best season came in 1967, when he went 14-8 with a 2.76 ERA over 195 2/3 innings as a starter. Shoulder trouble limited him afterward, and he finished his playing career with the California Angels as a reliever from 1970 to 1972. Queen joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 1986 and served as their major league pitching coach from 1996 through 1999, then worked as a scout for the club. Batting left and throwing right, he retired with a 20-17 pitching record and a .179 career batting average. He died May 11, 2011, in Morro Bay, California.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 460 | 0 | 8 | 219 | 176 | 36 | 15 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 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: #442 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #15 Andy Messersmith
- #43 Steve Kealey
- #61 1970 American League Batting Leaders
- #67 1970 American League ERA Leaders
- #78 Jim Spencer
- #105 Tony Conigliaro
- #152 Angels 1971 Rookie Stars
- #174 Dave LaRoche
- #205 Gerry Moses
- #240 Clyde Wright
- #256 Tony Gonzalez
- #279 Lefty Phillips
- #318 Rudy May
- #360 Jim Fregosi
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #736 card?
It is card #736 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mel Queen of the California Angels.
Why is #736 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the sixth and last print series, #644-752 - the scarce end of the set. Some of its cards were printed in larger numbers than others, so scarcity varies card by card inside the run.
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.