1973 Topps #45 Ellie Rodriguez
Uncorrected error: The photo is not Ellie Rodriguez: it shows either Paul Ratliff or John Felske.
About Ellie Rodriguez
Batting second for Milwaukee in 1972, Rodriguez hit .360 over a 16-game stretch in May, including a two-run homer into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium on May 25 that beat Detroit 2-0. He finished with 101 hits, 2 home runs and 35 RBI. The photo on #45, a first-series card, is disputed between John Felske and Paul Ratliff.
Eliseo Rodriguez, known to fans as Ellie Rodriguez, was a Puerto Rican catcher who played nine major league seasons from 1968 to 1976 for the Yankees, Royals, Brewers, Angels and Dodgers. Born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, he moved with his family to New York City as a boy and grew up idolizing Yankees catcher Yogi Berra before signing with the Kansas City Athletics organization out of James Monroe High School. After debuting with the Yankees in 1968, he became a regular in the 1969 Royals expansion season and earned two All-Star selections, in 1969 with Kansas City and 1972 with Milwaukee, where he hit a career-high .285. Catching for the California Angels in 1974, he tied an American League record with 19 putouts in a nine-inning game and set another with 21 putouts in an extra-inning game, and he later caught one of Nolan Ryan's no-hitters. He finished his career with the Dodgers in 1976, later playing and managing in the Mexican League and coaching young players in Puerto Rico.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 196 | 3 | 81 | 92 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1973 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: #127 Milwaukee Brewers
More Milwaukee Brewers cards:
- #71 Johnny Briggs
- #74 Billy Champion
- #92 Jerry Bell
- #152 Dave May
- #176 Chuck Taylor
- #212 Joe Lahoud
- #231 Bill Parsons
- #263 George Scott
- #286 Frank Linzy
- #308 Skip Lockwood
- #332 John Felske
- #366 Brock Davis
- #386 Don Money
- #408 Jim Colborn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1973 Topps #45 card?
It is Ellie Rodriguez's Milwaukee Brewers card, #45 in the 660-card 1973 Topps Baseball set - but the photograph shows another player, Paul Ratliff or John Felske depending on the source.
Does 1973 Topps #45 have an error?
The photo is not Ellie Rodriguez: it shows either Paul Ratliff or John Felske. It was never corrected, so there is no variation to chase - every copy of #45 reads the same way.
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.