1965 Topps #18 Bill McCool
Card carries the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy, marking his 1964 selection to the Topps All-Star Rookie team.
About Bill McCool
In 1965 McCool became the Reds' bullpen workhorse, appearing in a career-high 62 games and finishing second in the National League in saves with 21, though his ERA rose to 4.27. His Topps card that year, number 18 from the first series, carries the All-Star Rookie trophy design marking his selection to the prior year's Topps All-Star Rookie team.
Billy McCool broke into the majors as a hard-throwing 19-year-old lefty reliever for the Cincinnati Reds in 1964, striking out veteran hitters with a fastball teammates called sneaky-fast. That rookie season he was named The Sporting News National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year, going 6-5 with seven saves. He anchored the Reds bullpen for the next several seasons, finishing second in the league in saves in both 1965 and 1966 and earning an All-Star selection in 1966. A knee injury suffered late in 1966, followed by elbow and shoulder trouble, derailed his push to become a starter and shortened what had looked like a rising career. He pitched a final season each with the San Diego Padres in 1969 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970 before retiring at 25. Over seven seasons he went 32-42 with 58 saves and a 3.59 ERA. After baseball he worked as a Dayton television sports anchor and later wrote a pitching instruction book. He died in 2014.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 363 | 4 | 70 | 182 | 62 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #18 card?
It is card #18 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bill McCool of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.