1975 Topps #605 John Ellis
About John Ellis
John Charles Ellis broke in with the New York Yankees in 1969, drilling an inside-the-park home run in his major-league debut — a moment that earned him the nickname "Thunder" from teammate Gene Michael. Signed by New York in 1966, Ellis made the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1970 before a six-player trade sent him to Cleveland for Graig Nettles in November 1972. Splitting time between catcher, first base and designated hitter, he became the first DH in Indians history on Opening Day 1973 and had his best season in 1974, batting .285 with 10 homers and 64 RBIs while catching Dick Bosman's no-hitter against Oakland that July. Ellis clashed with new player-manager Frank Robinson in 1975 before closing out his 13-year career with the Texas Rangers, finishing with a .262 average, 69 homers and 391 RBIs. He later built a real-estate business and, after his own cancer diagnosis, founded the Connecticut Cancer Foundation with his wife Jane, raising millions for patients before his death in 2022.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 290 | 11 | 69 | 166 | 39 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #605 card?
It is card #605 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Ellis.
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 2026-10-05.