1965 Topps #216 Al Worthington
About Al Worthington
1965 Topps #216 is his first Topps card in a Twins uniform, and it landed on the year that defined him. Pitching only in relief for Sam Mele's 102-win American League champions, Worthington finished 38 of the 62 games he entered, went 10-7, and posted a career-low 2.13 ERA, the best mark on a deep Minnesota staff, with a career-high 21 saves that ranked sixth in the league. He worked four innings in the seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers, two in Game Four and two in Game Seven, and was not charged with an earned run in either. Card #216 belongs to the third print series.
Al Worthington was born February 5, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama, the seventh of ten children; two older brothers played minor-league ball. He pitched at the University of Alabama, signed with Nashville in 1951 for $1,500, and reached the New York Giants in July 1953, opening his career with back-to-back shutouts. Over 14 seasons he pitched for the Giants, Red Sox, White Sox, Reds and Twins, going 75-82 with a 3.39 ERA and 110 saves in 602 games. He was on the roster for the Giants' 1954 World Series sweep but never got into it. A sinkerballer who added a slider and curve, he became a born-again Christian at a 1958 Billy Graham crusade in San Francisco; in 1959 he confronted Giants manager Bill Rigney about a man stealing signs from the grandstand with binoculars, and in September 1960 he left the White Sox outright rather than pitch for a club that was doing the same. His best years came as Minnesota's closer, including the 1965 pennant winners. He coached Twins pitchers in 1972 and 1973, then built Liberty University's baseball program from scratch across thirteen seasons. He is in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, not the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He died June 18, 2026, at 97.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 213 | 2 | 38 | 105 | 42 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 11 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. The two checklist variations, #79 and #508, are listed under the wording PSA uses for each state.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1965 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: #24 Minnesota Twins
More Minnesota Twins cards:
- #1 American League 1964 Batting Leaders
- #3 American League 1964 Home Run Leaders
- #5 American League 1964 RBI Leaders
- #11 American League 1964 Strikeout Leaders
- #39 Gerry Arrigo
- #62 Jim Kaat
- #90 Rich Rollins
- #108 Don Mincher
- #122 Bill Pleis
- #157 Zoilo Versalles
- #171 Jim Roland
- #180 Bob Allison
- #201 Twins 1965 Rookie Stars
- #237 Bernie Allen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #216 card?
It is card #216 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al Worthington of the Minnesota Twins.
How many cards are in the 1965 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 600 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no printed-number collisions, and two checklist cards - #79 and #508 - carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball Almanac, 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 2026-10-11.