1963 Topps #74 Denver Lemaster
About Denver Lemaster
Card #74 is Lemaster's rookie card, a first-series issue picturing him with the Milwaukee Braves. Behind it sits the half-season that introduced him. Called up in July 1962 after winning his last eight decisions at Louisville, he went the distance in his July 15 debut against Cincinnati, allowing six hits and two earned runs, and lost 3-2 when Vada Pinson homered in the ninth and an unearned run followed. Birdie Tebbetts came away telling reporters the young left-hander was going to win a lot of games for the club. Lemaster finished 3-4 with a 3.01 ERA, four complete games, one shutout and 69 strikeouts in 17 appearances, 12 of them starts.
Denver Clayton "Denny" Lemaster was a left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in the majors (1962-1972) with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros and the Montreal Expos. Born in Corona, California and raised in Oxnard, he threw seven no-hitters at Oxnard High School and signed with the Braves in 1958 as the club's chosen heir to Warren Spahn. He reached Milwaukee on July 15, 1962, was a 1967 National League All-Star, and moved to Houston that October. He finished 90-105 with a 3.58 ERA, 66 complete games, 14 shutouts and 1,305 strikeouts in 357 games; Joe Torre, who caught him with both Braves clubs, remembered a fastball near 93 miles an hour, a super curve and no fear of working inside. Lemaster later spent more than 30 years in homebuilding, guided hunting and fishing trips, and became an accomplished carver and painter of wooden wildlife. He belongs to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in his native California. He died July 24, 2024, in Loganville, Georgia, at 85.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 288 | 0 | 11 | 143 | 92 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 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: #503 Milwaukee Braves
More Milwaukee Braves cards:
- #1 1962 National League Batting Leaders
- #3 1962 National League Home Run Leaders
- #5 1962 National League E.R.A. Leaders
- #46 Tommie Aaron
- #62 Bob Hendley
- #73 Bobby Bragan
- #109 Lee Maye
- #126 Bob Uecker
- #137 Mack Jones
- #156 Roy McMillan
- #179 Ron Piche
- #201 Cecil Butler
- #238 Lou Johnson
- #242 Power Plus
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #74 card?
It is card #74 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Denver Lemaster of the Milwaukee Braves.
Is 1963 Topps #74 a rookie card?
Yes - #74 is the 1963 Topps rookie card of Denver Lemaster.
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.