Tony Pérez’s Best with the Brand
From Cuban slugger to Hall of Fame icon, Tony Pérez carved out a legacy as one of the most clutch hitters of his era. A driving force behind the Big Red Machine’s dominance, Pérez delivered power, leadership, and consistency throughout a career that spanned more than two decades.
His presence at the plate was feared, and his impact on the game is undeniable. So, to honor one of baseball’s most respected legends, here’s a list of Tony Pérez cards every collector should know.
Tony Pérez’s Best Topps Cards
1965 Topps Baseball #581 Tony Pérez/Dave Rickets/Kevin Collins RC
player Info
• Played 23 seasons in MLB
• Seven-time All-Star
Set Info
• 598-card set
what they said
• “With men in scoring position and the game on the line. Tony’s the last guy an opponent wanted to see.” – fellow hall-of-famer willie stargell.
1981 Topps Baseball #575 Tony Pérez
player Info
• three-time world series champion
• his no. 24 is retired by the reds
Set Info
• 726-card set
What They Said
• “Pete [Rose] would get his 200 hits, and [Johnny] Bench would do his thing. and Tony would get shoved in the background, driving in his 100 runs every year. You’d see it in the notes at the end of the stories in the paper – ‘Oh, by the way, Pérez hit a three-run homer to win the game.’” – Former teammate Pat Corrales.
1974 Topps Baseball #230 Tony Perez
player Info
• cincinati reds hall-of-famer
• hispanic heritage baseball hall-of-famer
set Info
• 660-card set
What They’ve Said
• “[Pérez] was a fatherly type in the clubhouse, especially to the Spanish ballplayers. They looked up to him as well as relating to him through his background and language.” – pete rose
1975 Topps Baseball #560 Tony Perez
player Info
• ended his playing career ranked 14th on the mlb’s career rbis list
• managed both the reds and marlins
Set Info
• 660-card set
What They Said
• “Tony had a tremendous season [in 1985]. But his value is as a leader. The young players listen to him, even the old players. He’s a steadying influence.” – former reds manager bill bergesch
1977 Topps Baseball #655 Tony Perez
player Info
• second among all mlbers in rbis during the 1970s
• drove in at least 90 runs in 11 consecutive seasons
Set Info
• 660-card set
what they’ve said
• “He waited on the ball well and I couldn’t throw hard enough to get it by him inside.” – former mlber tommy john
