1961 Topps #169 Don Elston
About Don Elston
The 1961 Cubs launched P.K. Wrigley's College of Coaches, and four men took turns running a 64-90, seventh-place club, with El Tappe handling 96 of the games. Elston opened beautifully, going 4-0 with three saves in April without allowing an earned run, and pitched well into early June, when a bruised foot touched off a slump that lasted the rest of the summer. A blown save at St. Louis on July 17 pushed his ERA to 6.17, and he shaved only about half a run off it the rest of the way, finishing 6-7 with eight saves and a 5.59 ERA in 58 games.
Donald Ray Elston (April 6, 1929 - January 2, 1995) was a right-handed relief pitcher from Campbellstown, Ohio, who spent parts of nine major league seasons, all but one inning of them with the Chicago Cubs. Signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in December 1947, he pitched eight straight seasons in the minors from 1948 through 1955, interrupted only by a September 1953 look in Chicago, then went to Brooklyn with Randy Jackson in the December 1955 deal that brought Russ Meyer, Don Hoak and Walt Moryn to the Cubs. A May 1957 trade for Jackie Collum and Vito Valentinetti sent him back; after a summer as a swingman he moved to the bullpen for good that September. His 69 appearances led the National League in 1958 and earned him the nickname "Every Day," and in 1959 he tied teammate Bill Henry for the league lead with 65, won a career-high ten games, and made his only All-Star team, saving the first of that summer's two All-Star Games at Forbes Field. Across 450 games he went 49-54 with a 3.69 ERA, 64 saves and 519 strikeouts in 755 2/3 innings, and his 658 1/3 relief innings remain a Cubs franchise record.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 441 | 1 | 32 | 233 | 118 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 25 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. PSA counts are straight grades only; PSA half grades (PSA 1.5 among them) and qualified slabs are not included. SGC half grades fold down (8.5→8). Slabs of the two cards printed #463 are joined by description, never by number alone.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1961 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #122 Chicago Cubs Team
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #12 Moe Thacker
- #27 Jerry Kindall
- #35 Ron Santo
- #58 Joe Schaffernoth
- #88 Richie Ashburn
- #107 Seth Morehead
- #141 Billy Williams
- #196 Ed Bouchee
- #214 Danny Murphy
- #231 Dick Drott
- #253 Sammy Taylor
- #264 Glen Hobbie
- #283 Bob Anderson
- #302 Al Heist
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #169 card?
It is card #169 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Elston of the Chicago Cubs.
How many cards are in the 1961 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 596 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 589, but #426, #587 and #588 were never issued and two different cards were printed #463 - Jack Fisher and the Milwaukee Braves Team card, catalogued 463b - and eight cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, 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.