1971 Topps #688 Sparky Anderson
About this card
Every club has its own manager card this year, separate from its team card, and every one pictures the manager alone. Nine of the 24 managers are Hall of Famers: Bob Lemon (#91), Gil Hodges (#183), Red Schoendienst (#239), Ted Williams (#380), Earl Weaver (#477), Walt Alston (#567), Leo Durocher (#609), Sparky Anderson (#688) and Dick Williams (#714).
About Sparky Anderson
Anderson's #688 manager card was a sixth-series issue, and in 1971 the Reds fell to 79-83, tied with Houston for fourth place. The winter brought the Big Deal, which sent Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to Houston for Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister, a trade built for speed on Riverfront's artificial turf.
Sparky Anderson managed in the major leagues for 26 seasons, nine with the Cincinnati Reds and 17 with the Detroit Tigers, and won 2,194 games. He was the first manager to win a World Series in both leagues, with Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976 and Detroit in 1984. As a player he was a second baseman whose only big league season was 1959, when he hit .218 in 152 games for the Phillies. He spent four more years as a player with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League, whose owner, Jack Kent Cooke, made him the club's manager in 1964. He won four straight minor league pennants from 1965 to 1968. The Reds hired him in October 1969, when Cincinnati headlines asked 'Sparky Who?' He was called Captain Hook for pulling starters at the first sign of weakness and leaning on closers Will McEnaney and Rawly Eastwick. His 1984 Tigers opened 35-5 and won 104 games, and he was the American League Manager of the Year in 1984 and 1987. He retired on October 2, 1995. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000, he wore a Reds cap at his induction in honor of Bob Howsam, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame added him in 2007.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 744 | 0 | 9 | 204 | 287 | 134 | 56 | 49 | 5 |
| SGC | 153 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 44 | 36 | 26 | 13 | 8 |
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
- #40 Lee May
- #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!
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #688 card?
It is card #688 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Sparky Anderson of the Cincinnati Reds. Every club has its own manager card this year, separate from its team card, and every one pictures the manager alone. Nine of the 24 managers are Hall of Famers: Bob Lemon (#91), Gil Hodges (#183), Red Schoendienst (#239), Ted Williams (#380), Earl Weaver (#477), Walt Alston (#567), Leo Durocher (#609), Sparky Anderson (#688) and Dick Williams (#714).
Why is #688 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.