1975 Topps #285 Ellie Rodriguez
About Ellie Rodriguez
Eliseo "Ellie" Rodríguez broke into pro ball in 1964, signed by the Kansas City Athletics out of the Bronx sandlots; left unprotected in that winter's first-year draft, he was claimed by the Yankees and made his big-league debut on May 26, 1968. The expansion Kansas City Royals grabbed him in the 1968 draft, and in 1969 he started the franchise's first-ever game and became its first All-Star. Traded to Milwaukee in 1971, he made a second All-Star team in 1972 before a nine-player deal sent him to the Angels in October 1973. This 1975 Topps card catches him mid-tenure in Anaheim, where he'd become Nolan Ryan's personal catcher — leading the American League in putouts and assists during a career-best 1974, then catching Ryan's fourth career no-hitter in 1975. Rodríguez closed his nine-year career with the Dodgers in 1976, finishing at .245 with 16 home runs, then managed and scouted across the Mexican and Atlantic Leagues. He died in April 2026 at age 79.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 372 | 10 | 122 | 202 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Related cards
Team card: #236 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #5 Nolan Ryan
- #16 Frank Tanana
- #40 Bill Singer
- #64 Dave Chalk
- #88 Tom Egan
- #114 Dick Lange
- #139 Horacio Pina
- #164 Mickey Rivers
- #187 Denny Doyle
- #215 Bobby Valentine
- #261 Andy Hassler
- #312 1974 Strikeout Leaders
- #317 Joe Lahoud
- #342 Leroy Stanton
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #285 card?
It is card #285 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ellie Rodriguez.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-08-20.