1963 Topps #515 Don Elston
About Don Elston
Bob Kennedy took over as the Cubs' lone manager in 1963 and pushed them to 82-80, the franchise's first winning record since 1946. Elston shared the bullpen with newcomer Lindy McDaniel, who led the staff with 22 saves, and still gave Kennedy 70 innings over 51 appearances, going 4-1 with four saves and a 2.83 ERA. Kennedy later said Elston had a rubber arm and could escape the worst jam handed to him, but was not the same pitcher once he started a clean inning with no trouble in front of him. This card, #515, is a high number from the set's seventh series, showing him with the Chicago Cubs.
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
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 316 | 2 | 41 | 162 | 73 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 34 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 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: #222 Chicago Cubs
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #3 1962 National League Home Run Leaders
- #15 Ken Hubbs
- #31 Cal Koonce
- #54 1963 Rookie Stars
- #58 Bob Will
- #81 Jimmie Schaffer
- #95 Larry Jackson
- #113 Don Landrum
- #175 Bob Buhl
- #193 Andre Rodgers
- #212 Glen Hobbie
- #242 Power Plus
- #252 Ron Santo
- #272 Danny Murphy
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #515 card?
It is card #515 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Elston of the Chicago Cubs.
Why is #515 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh print series, #512-576 - the last and scarcest run in the set. Price guides often band the highs as #523-576, but the printing break falls between #511 and #512.
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.