1971 Topps #457 Willie Smith
About Willie Smith
Smith played 87 games for the 1970 Cubs, 43 of them at first base, and hit .216 with five home runs and 24 RBI. Chicago traded him to Cincinnati for Danny Breeden on November 30, 1970. Card #457 in the fourth series of the 1971 Topps set lists him with the Reds, for whom he appeared in 31 games in 1971, his last season in the majors.
Willie Smith, nicknamed "Wonderful Willie," broke into pro ball with the Negro league Birmingham Black Barons, earning East-West All-Star Game selections in 1958 and 1959. Detroit signed him as a pitching prospect, and in 1963 at Triple-A Syracuse he led the International League in winning percentage while also hitting .380. He debuted with the Tigers as a pitcher that year, then was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in April 1964. Still working as a pitcher for Los Angeles, he was converted to the outfield partway through 1964 by manager Bill Rigney to get his left-handed bat into the lineup daily, and responded with a career-best .301 average, 11 home runs and 51 RBI. He spent parts of nine big-league seasons as an outfielder, first baseman, pinch hitter and occasional pitcher for the Tigers, Angels, Indians, Cubs and Reds, finishing with 410 hits and 46 home runs. He later played two seasons in Japan for the Nankai Hawks. Smith died in his hometown of Anniston, Alabama, in 2006.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 381 | 2 | 29 | 206 | 106 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 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.
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: #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 #457 card?
It is card #457 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Smith of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.