1959 Topps #80 Minnie Minoso
1959 Topps #80 Minnie Minoso
About Minnie Minoso
"Minnie" Miñoso began in Cuban semipro ball before signing with the New York Cubans of the Negro National League in 1946. Traded to the Chicago White Sox, he debuted May 1, 1951, homering in his first at-bat, and became the American League's first Black Latin American star — Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda later called him "to Latin ballplayers what Jackie Robinson is to black ballplayers." A seven-time All-Star known for crowding the plate, Miñoso won three Gold Gloves, led the AL in triples and stolen bases three times each, and finished with a .299 average and 2,113 hits. Traded to Cleveland after 1957, his 1959 Topps card comes from his second Indians stint, hitting 24 homers in 1958 and 21 more in 1959. After decades of falling short on Hall of Fame ballots, he was elected via the Golden Days Committee in December 2021 and inducted in July 2022, seven years after his death.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
Venezuelan Parallel
Topps issued a partial parallel of the set for the Venezuelan market, printed on thinner card stock and credited "Impreso en Venezuela por Benco C.A." on the back. Hobby checklists most often list the run as cards 1-196, though sources disagree and the exact range has never been definitively documented. Venezuelan cards are far scarcer than their U.S. counterparts and usually surface with heavy wear; collectors treat them as a separate parallel, not part of the standard 572-card set.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 663 | 0 | 16 | 170 | 161 | 138 | 69 | 109 | 0 |
| SGC | 152 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 30 | 46 | 41 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1959 Topps Minnie Minoso card?
It is card #80 of 572 in the 1959 Topps Baseball set - Topps' largest set to that point, issued across seven series with a circular color photo on every front. It pictures the Cleveland Indians player.
Is the 1959 Topps Minnie Minoso valuable?
Value depends on grade, the series (the high numbers run scarcer), and any variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, BaseballCardPedia, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data, images & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.