1971 Topps #53 Paul Blair
About Paul Blair
Blair briefly tried switch-hitting in 1971, going 11-for-57 before abandoning it. He finished at .262 with ten home runs and 44 RBI. Leading off Game 4, he became the first batter in a World Series night game and singled off Luke Walker. His first-series 1971 Topps card was #53.
Paul Blair won eight Gold Gloves as an outfielder and played for Baltimore's American League pennant winners of 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971. Originally signed by the Mets as a shortstop in 1961, he moved to the outfield and was drafted by the Orioles the following year. He played a shallow center field, relying on his ability to retreat on fly balls. His seventeen major league seasons also included the Yankees and Reds, and he finished with 1,513 hits and a .250 average. Stockton manager Harry Dunlop gave him the nickname Motormouth in 1963 because he talked so much. After his playing career, Blair coached at Fordham and worked as a professional outfield instructor. Baltimore inducted him into its team Hall of Fame in 1984.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 350 | 1 | 11 | 155 | 127 | 35 | 10 | 11 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 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: #1 1970 World Champions (Baltimore Orioles)
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #29 Don Buford
- #63 1970 American League RBI Leaders
- #67 1970 American League ERA Leaders
- #69 1970 American League Pitching Leaders
- #99 Mark Belanger
- #122 Eddie Watt
- #137 Marcelino Lopez
- #170 Mike Cuellar
- #193 Bob Grich
- #195 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 1: Powell Muscles Twins!
- #196 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 2: McNally Makes It Two Straight!
- #197 1970 A.L. Playoffs Game 3: Palmer Mows 'Em Down!
- #198 1970 A.L. Playoffs: Orioles Celebrate!
- #219 Elrod Hendricks
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #53 card?
It is card #53 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Paul Blair of the Baltimore Orioles.
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.