1973 Topps #541 Bob Bolin
About Bob Bolin
Topps issued Bolin's #541 among the fifth-series high numbers in 1973, identifying the Boston pitcher as Bob Bolin. On September 30, 1973, he pitched one inning and earned the save in a 3-2 Red Sox win over Milwaukee at Fenway Park, in what became his final major league game.
Bob Bolin made 495 major league pitching appearances from 1961 through 1973, finishing 88-75 with a 3.40 ERA and 1,175 strikeouts. He grew up on a farm near Smyrna, South Carolina, rooted for the Dodgers and threw 4 consecutive no-hitters as a high school senior. Commissioner Ford Frick voided an early Pittsburgh contract he had signed for Branch Rickey. Giants scout Tim Murchison recruited him, and Bolin signed with New York in 1956 at 17. He pitched minor league no-hitters for Michigan City in 1957 and Eugene in 1959. His 1.99 ERA in 1968 ranked second in the National League. After 9 seasons with San Francisco, he was traded to the Seattle Pilots on December 12, 1969, for Steve Whitaker and Dick Simpson. He pitched for the franchise in Milwaukee before finishing his major league career with Boston. The Giants included him in their inaugural Wall of Fame class in 2008. He died in 2023 at 84.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2) · Baseball Almanac (3) · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 173 | 2 | 58 | 95 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #596 Boston Red Sox
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- #65 1972 Earned Run Average Leaders
- #69 Phil Gagliano
- #96 Doug Griffin
- #114 Lynn McGlothen
- #131 Red Sox Field Leaders
- #143 John Curtis
- #165 Luis Aparicio
- #193 Carlton Fisk
- #224 Bill Lee
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #541 card?
It is card #541 of the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Bolin of the Boston Red Sox.
Why is #541 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the fifth and last print series, #529-660 - the scarce end of the set.
How many cards are in the 1973 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 679 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, in five series of 132 - #1-132, #133-264, #265-396, #397-528 and the high numbers, #529-660, printed in lower quantities; 19 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fifteen Field Leaders cards, the #20 Stan Bahnsen, #31 Buddy Bell and #504 Earl Williams border-gap pairs and the two #280 Al Kaline printings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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.