1965 Topps #436 Don Elston
About Don Elston
Elston reported to the Cubs' camp at Mesa, Arizona in the spring of 1965, but the club placed him on waivers and released him outright about a week before Opening Day. He took a player-coach job at once with Salt Lake City, the Cubs' Pacific Coast League affiliate managed by Stan Hack, and went 4-8 in his last season in uniform; the Bees finished 56-91, tenth in the league, and the club folded afterward. Chicago columnist Jerome Holtzman wrote that Elston never expressed regrets and even enjoyed his long minor league apprenticeship. This sixth-series card, #436, reached collectors after his Chicago playing days had ended, and it still lists him with the 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 · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 279 | 5 | 51 | 155 | 37 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 8 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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Team card: #91 Chicago Cubs
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- #10 National League 1964 Pitching Leaders
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1965 Topps #436 card?
It is card #436 of the 598-card 1965 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Elston of the Chicago Cubs.
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.