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1971 Topps "Black Bordered Beauties" - Don Sutton ( L.A. Dodgers) Hall of Fame - #361.

A Little About the "Black Bordered Beauties" of Topps 1971 Baseball Set:

Originally available in wax packs, rack packs, cello packs, and vending boxes, the 752-card issue was released in seven series. Hobby consensus is that cards from Series One to Five are the most readily available, while those from Series Six (#524 to #643) and Seven (#644 to #752) appear to have been produced in smaller quantities. The reason the high numbers are scarce is because, by the time they printed the high numbers, all the grocers were asking for football because it was already football season. They would refuse them or return them saying, 'Give me the football cards.' The kids didn't want seventh series baseball," he explained.
It has also been reported that 44 cards in the final series were manufactured in 50 % greater quantity than the remaining 66 cards. As a result, these 66 singles are recognized as short prints and often command a premium. Aside from its renowned black borders, the front of these cards showcase the player's name and position in lowercase letters, with the team name in uppercase. The card's back boasts a black and white snapshot of each player and abbreviated statistics that reveal the player's 1970 and career stats. Also featured is a short bio and lines indicating the player's first year in pro ball and first major league game.
More About Don Sutton the Ball Player:
Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945-January 18, 2021) holds the Major League record for most losses to one team in a career (13), the Chicago Cubs. Despite his struggles against the Northsiders, Sutton averaged 14 wins over 23 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1966-1980, 1988), the Houston Astros (1981-1982), the Milwaukee Brewers (1982-1984), the Oakland A’s (1985) and California Angels (1985-1987). Sutton owned the strike zone, striking out more than 130 batters in each of first 21 seasons, earning him four All-Star selections. An exceptional athlete growing up, Don was the model for consistency and durability, starting 756 games in his career, averaging 34 per season, and pitched deep into games, completing 178 game and throwing 5,282.1 innings. With a career .144 batting average, Sutton was an atypical pitcher who struggled at the plate, but Don has the distinct honor to be the player with the most at-bats (1,354) without a home run. Don Sutton finished his career with a record of 324-256 with 3,574 strikeouts and a career 3.26 ERA. Donald Howard Sutton was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Condition is "Good". Shipped with USPS Standard Shipping. Please see scans to determine condition as this will be the card you will be receiving. I will place your card in a penny sleeve then a top loader to ensure your card arrives in the best possible condition to you.

++ As appealing as they are, however, the black borders pose the greatest challenge to completing this set in high-grade condition. "They're so fragile. They chip. Any bend at all shows white," said Grodus. Unfortunately, some hobbyists have resorted to unscrupulous ways of correcting these borders. One common practice is trimming the cards. Another tactic is touching up the borders or corners with a black marker. These condition issues are the reason this set is considered the toughest set of the '70s to put together in high-grade. This card is being sold "as-is" without the issues mentioned above as you can see from the scans.