The 1969 Topps baseball card #245 features St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Nelson Briles. Briles had a breakout season in 1968 that landed him on this coveted rookie card the following year. While rookie cards from the late 1960s are not quite as valuable as those from the 1950s, Briles’ 1969 #245 is still a key piece in any serious baseball card collection.
Nelson Briles was born in 1946 in Stowe, Vermont. He began his professional baseball career in 1966 playing in the minors for the St. Louis Cardinals organization. After just one season in Single-A ball, Briles progressed all the way up to Triple-A by 1967 where he continued to impress with the Tulsa Oilers. His combined minor league record in 1967 was an outstanding 17-7 with a 2.64 ERA across different levels.
This performance earned Briles a call up to the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968. He made his MLB debut on April 17th of that year against the New York Mets. Briles went 6 innings and got the win, allowing just 2 runs in a 10-2 Cardinals victory. This set the tone for what would become Briles’ rookie season to remember. In 27 total games (24 starts), Briles compiled a 12-9 record with a sparkling 2.53 ERA. He finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting and proved he belonged in the majors.
Briles’ success in 1968 led directly to him earning the coveted rookie card slot from Topps for their 1969 baseball card set. As the #245 issue, Briles is shown in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform from 1968, his rookie season. The photo captures Briles mid-windup, showcasing his smooth overhand delivery to the plate. It’s a classic baseball card image that remains very desirable among collectors today.
In 1969, Briles built upon his breakthrough rookie campaign and became a full-time starter in the Cardinals rotation. He started 33 games and appeared in 36 total, amassing a 15-9 record to go along with a solid 3.43 ERA. Briles finished 10th in the National League Cy Young Award voting in just his second big league season. He was proving to be a workhorse, durable starter that the Cardinals could rely on year in and year out.
From 1970-1973, Briles remained a steady presence pitching every year for the Cardinals. He averaged over 30 starts and 200+ innings annually while consistently winning 12-15 games each season. During this stretch, Briles posted ERAs no higher than 3.43 and struck out as many as 196 batters in 1972. He formed an excellent 1-2 punch at the top of the Cardinals rotation along with Bob Gibson.
In 1974, the Cardinals traded Nelson Briles to the Houston Astros. He continued pitching effectively in Houston from 1974-1976, compiling a 28-19 record with a 3.46 ERA over those three seasons. Briles’ final major league season was 1977 which he split between Houston and St. Louis once more before retiring at age 31.
In total, Nelson Briles played 11 seasons in the majors from 1968-1977 with the Cardinals, Astros, and a brief return to St. Louis. He amassed an impressive career record of 139-112 with a solid 3.46 lifetime ERA. Briles was a durable, dependable starting pitcher who spent years anchoring two different team rotations. His success in 1968 led to his popular rookie card appearance in the 1969 Topps set as card #245. Over 50 years later, this iconic baseball card remains a key piece for collectors of 1960s/1970s memorabilia and Cardinals & Astros history. With its classic design and subject matter featuring Briles’ stellar rookie season, the 1969 Topps Nelson Briles #245 endures as one of the standout rookie cards from that era.
