1965 Topps #61 Chris Cannizzaro
About Chris Cannizzaro
Card #61, a first-series issue, carries the best season Cannizzaro ever put together at the plate: .311 in 60 games for the 1964 Mets, built on a .353 second half after roommate Frank Lary talked him into being more patient. That year he also tied a major league record for catchers with an unassisted double play on May 21, and on May 31 he worked more innings in a single 23-inning marathon against the Giants than he had caught all spring. Stengel praised the improvement and handed him the starting job for 1965; it went badly. He hit .183 over 114 games, led National League catchers with 12 errors, and by September the club had given up on him.
Christopher John Cannizzaro was a defense-first catcher who spent 13 major league seasons (1960-1974) with six clubs after the Cardinals signed him out of San Leandro High School in 1956. He debuted on April 17, 1960, facing Sandy Koufax in his first at-bat. Steady work came only through the league's two expansion clubs: the Mets took him 26th overall in the October 1961 expansion draft, and San Diego made him its everyday catcher in 1969. Cannizzaro caught the Padres' first game, a 2-1 win over Houston on April 8, 1969, and became the franchise's first All-Star. Never much of a hitter -- .235 with 18 home runs and 169 RBIs in 740 games -- he was prized for an arm that led the majors in caught-stealing percentage in 1962 and again in 1965. Casey Stengel called him "Canzoneri," apparently thinking of the 1930s boxer Tony Canzoneri. He later caught for the Cubs and Dodgers, coached Atlanta's bullpen from 1976 to 1978, then managed in the Angels' Class A chain. He died in San Diego on December 29, 2016.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2) · Baseball Almanac (3)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 271 | 6 | 51 | 135 | 55 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 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: #551 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #22 Charlie Smith
- #45 Roy McMillan
- #73 Dennis Ribant
- #93 Jack Fisher
- #114 Jim Hickman
- #144 Ed Kranepool
- #167 Bill Wakefield
- #187 Casey Stengel
- #205 Warren Spahn
- #227 Bobby Klaus
- #258 Larry Bearnarth
- #277 Johnny Lewis
- #285 Ron Hunt
- #308 Mets 1965 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #61 card?
It is card #61 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Chris Cannizzaro of the New York Mets.
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.