1963 Topps #391 Bill Dailey
About Bill Dailey
Topps still listed him with Cleveland: card #391 carries the Indians even though Minnesota had bought him outright on April 8, 1963. It sits in the fifth print series, and it is his rookie card, issued two years after his debut. The season behind it was the one that mattered: 66 appearances, second-most of any American League pitcher, a 6-3 record, a 1.99 ERA, 21 saves for third in the league and 72 strikeouts over 108 2/3 innings. The Twins named him their Joseph W. Haynes Pitcher of the Year, and the organist at Metropolitan Stadium took to playing 'Bill Bailey' as he came in from the bullpen.
William Garland Dailey (1935-2025) was a right-handed reliever out of Arlington, Virginia, who signed with Cleveland as an amateur free agent in 1953, straight out of Washington-Lee High School. Used mostly as a starter in the minors, he spent almost nine years grinding through Sherbrooke, Fargo-Moorhead, Keokuk, Mobile, San Diego, Sacramento and Salt Lake City before the Indians recalled him, and he debuted on August 17, 1961, at 26. The 6-foot-3 right-hander never did start a big-league game. Cleveland sold him to the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 1963, and he was the Twins' closer almost immediately. A rotator cuff injury in 1964 ended it just as fast: after consulting several doctors he concluded he would not pitch again, with or without surgery, and he walked away at 29. His four seasons add up to 119 games, all in relief, a 10-7 record, 22 saves, 109 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA in 185 2/3 innings. He died in Bedford, Virginia, on January 11, 2025, at 89.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 254 | 0 | 14 | 134 | 88 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-09-24. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here.
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Related cards
Team card: #451 Cleveland Indians
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #8 1962 American League Pitching Leaders
- #14 Pedro Ramos
- #36 Jerry Kindall
- #48 Birdie Tebbetts
- #72 Johnny Romano
- #103 Chuck Essegian
- #129 Gary Bell
- #152 Ron Nischwitz
- #170 Joe Adcock
- #187 Willie Kirkland
- #211 Fred Whitfield
- #227 Jim Grant
- #228 1963 Rookie Stars
- #248 Tito Francona
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #391 card?
It is card #391 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill Dailey of the Cleveland Indians.
Is 1963 Topps #391 a rookie card?
Yes - #391 is the 1963 Topps rookie card of Bill Dailey.
How many cards are in the 1963 Topps Baseball set?
576 cards, tracked as 583 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 576 with no gaps and no number used twice, and seven cards carry a catalogued print variation - three checklists, the two Rookie Stars cards also printed with a "1962" heading, and the #341 Jack Baldschun and #454 Art Fowler print states - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-03.