1966 Topps #353 Al McBean
About Al McBean
Topps placed #353 in the fourth series for 1966, and the card marks the year McBean's role shrank. A healthy Roy Face reclaimed the late innings, and manager Harry Walker used McBean mostly in long and mop-up relief: 4-3 with three saves and a 3.22 ERA in 47 games and 86 2/3 innings. He appeared in 32 of the Pirates' 70 losses, and Pittsburgh went 15-32 in the games he pitched, the arithmetic of a pitcher called on once the outcome was mostly settled.
Alvin O'Neal McBean, born May 15, 1938, in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, was the first pitcher from the U.S. Virgin Islands to reach the major leagues and for decades the only one. Pirates superscout Howie Haak found him at a 1957 tryout camp on St. Thomas that McBean attended as a photographer for a local paper; talked into working out in borrowed spikes, he signed for a $100 bonus and debuted on July 2, 1961. A right-hander with a hard sinker who threw from whatever arm angle suited him that day, he moved between the rotation and the bullpen for ten seasons: Pittsburgh from 1961 through 1968 and again in 1970, San Diego in 1969, and Los Angeles from 1969 into 1970. His best year was 1964 - 8-3 with a 1.91 ERA and 21 saves, good for The Sporting News National League Fireman of the Year. He finished 67-50 with a 3.13 ERA and 63 saves in 409 games. A famously sharp dresser who played to the crowd, he was a friend and Pirates roommate of Roberto Clemente, who stood as best man at his 1962 wedding. He went home to St. Thomas to work in recreation for the territory and died there on January 31, 2024, at 85.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 185 | 0 | 20 | 97 | 35 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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. Where SGC registers no separate row for a variation state, its slabs of that card are listed under the base state.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1966 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: #404 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #15 Vern Law
- #33 Jim Pagliaroni
- #54 Jose Pagan
- #71 Frank Carpin
- #99 Buc Belters
- #112 Manny Mota
- #123 Pirates 1966 Rookie Stars
- #144 Don Schwall
- #182 Jerry Lynch
- #210 Bill Mazeroski
- #215 National League 1965 Batting Leaders
- #221 National League 1965 ERA Leaders
- #225 National League 1965 Strikeout Leaders
- #235 Don Cardwell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1966 Topps #353 card?
It is card #353 of the 598-card 1966 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al McBean of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
How many cards are in the 1966 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 613 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no number used twice, and 14 cards carry catalogued print variations - five checklists, the trade and sold statement backs, the three-state #43 Don Landrum, three team-card dot pairs and the #161 Jerry Lumpe white streak - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, 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.