1971 Topps #24 Rich Hand
About Rich Hand
A strained forearm muscle put Hand on the disabled list to open 1971, and a 1-4 record with a 4.65 ERA sent him to Triple-A Wichita in early July. There he went 8-2 with a 1.88 ERA and, on August 19, no-hit Tulsa; Tulsa manager Warren Spahn said he looked a little too good for the classification. Back in Cleveland he finished 2-6 with a 5.79 ERA. His rookie card is #24, in the first series, with the Indians.
Rich Hand was a right-handed starter who pitched four seasons for Cleveland, Texas and California and went 24-39 with a 4.01 ERA in 104 games. A Seattle high school graduate, he pitched at the University of Puget Sound, earned All-America honors and finished 21-6 there. Cleveland made him the first pick of the 1969 secondary draft and signed him for $17,000. Manager Alvin Dark named him the third starter out of spring training in 1970, and he debuted on April 9, finishing 6-13 with a 3.83 ERA and 27 home runs allowed, ninth most in the American League. Arm trouble in 1971 turned a fastball pitcher into one who leaned on control and a changeup. He last pitched in the minors in 1974 and retired in 1975 with a sore arm. He stayed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in real estate and construction and served on the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association board.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 308 | 0 | 16 | 162 | 99 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1971 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #584 Cleveland Indians
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #41 Rick Austin
- #71 1970 American League Strikeout Leaders
- #87 Jack Heidemann
- #107 Roy Foster
- #125 Ray Fosse
- #150 Sam McDowell
- #172 Duke Sims
- #211 Phil Hennigan
- #231 Indians 1971 Rookie Stars
- #252 Eddie Leon
- #275 Vada Pinson
- #294 Steve Dunning
- #324 Graig Nettles
- #347 Ted Uhlaender
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #24 card?
It is card #24 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Rich Hand of the Cleveland Indians.
Is 1971 Topps #24 a rookie card?
Yes - #24 is the 1971 Topps rookie card of Rich Hand.
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.