1961 Topps #278 Don McMahon
About Don McMahon
Card #278 lands in Topps' third series and shows McMahon in his fifth season as Milwaukee's bullpen ace. He had already worked the 1957 and 1958 World Series and been named to the 1958 National League All-Star team, and in 1959 he finished 49 games, more than any other pitcher in the majors and the only time a Milwaukee Brave ever led the senior circuit in that category. A 5.94 ERA in 1960 knocked him off that perch, but 1961 answered the doubters: 53 appearances, a 6-4 record, eight saves and a 2.84 ERA.
Donald John McMahon was a right-handed relief pitcher from Brooklyn, New York, signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent in 1950 and converted from third base to the mound in their farm system. He did not reach the majors until June 30, 1957, at age 27, after roughly five and a half years in the minors and two years in the Army, and he believed he was the first pitcher ever called up strictly as a reliever. Used almost entirely out of the bullpen, he appeared in 874 games, just two of them as a starter, and finished 90-68 with a 2.96 ERA, 1,003 strikeouts and 153 saves. He was a 1958 National League All-Star selection and won World Series rings with the 1957 Braves and the 1968 Tigers, also pitching for the Colt .45's, Indians, Red Sox, White Sox and Giants. Sold or traded six times between ages 32 and 39, he had a habit of pitching his best ball in his first season with a new club. He never spent a day on the disabled list, and he threw his last big league pitch in 1974 at age 44 while serving as the Giants pitching coach.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 306 | 7 | 38 | 165 | 61 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #463b Milwaukee Braves Team
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- #84 Lee Maye
- #89 Billy Martin
- #105 Carl Willey
- #120 Ed Mathews
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- #145 Bob Buhl
- #164 Felix Mantilla
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #278 card?
It is card #278 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don McMahon of the Milwaukee Braves.
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.