1966 Topps #563 Twins Rookie Stars - Pete Cimino / Cesar Tovar
On this card: Pete Cimino, Cesar Tovar
About this card
The 46 Rookie Stars cards group a club's prospects under one number - except #553, which mixes Braves and Angels, and #591 NL Rookie Stars, which mixes Dodgers and Phillies. The class is headlined by #254 (Ferguson Jenkins, with Bill Sorrell) and #288 (Don Sutton, with Bill Singer).
The story on this card
Cimino made the Twins' Opening Day roster in 1966 and settled into the bullpen, working 35 games with a 2.92 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 64.2 innings, going 2-5. His 1966 Topps card, #563, is a high number from print series 7, part of the multi-player Rookie Stars subset he shares with fellow Twins rookie Cesar Tovar; it is recognized as Cimino's own rookie card. That December Cimino was dealt to the Angels along with Jimmie Hall and Don Mincher in the trade that brought Dean Chance to Minnesota. A Philadelphia native who once scored 114 points in a high school basketball game, Pete Cimino reached the majors as a hard-throwing reliever, pitching for the Twins and Angels from 1965 to 1968.
Card #563 is a high number from the set's seventh and final print series, shared with Pete Cimino under the Rookie Stars banner, and is a recognized rookie card for Tovar. In 1966 Tovar took over as an everyday player for the Twins, hitting .260 with 41 RBI and 57 runs while splitting time between second base and shortstop. A Venezuelan utility man known for relentless hustle and defensive versatility, Cesar Tovar led off for Minnesota Twins division winners in 1969 and 1970 and once played all nine positions in a single game.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject (Pete Cimino) · SABR BioProject (Cesar Tovar)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 401 | 3 | 45 | 157 | 95 | 59 | 29 | 12 | 1 |
| SGC | 26 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 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. 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: #526 Minnesota Twins
More Minnesota Twins cards:
- #3 Sam Mele
- #22 Joe Nossek
- #40 Jim Grant
- #56 Sandy Valdespino
- #73 Jerry Zimmerman
- #97 Jim Merritt
- #120 Harmon Killebrew
- #181 Al Worthington
- #190 Jimmie Hall
- #207 Frank Quilici
- #216 American League 1965 Batting Leaders
- #220 American League 1965 RBI Leaders
- #224 American League 1965 Pitching Leaders
- #240 Earl Battey
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1966 Topps #563 card?
It is card #563 of the 598-card 1966 Topps Baseball set, picturing Pete Cimino and Cesar Tovar. The 46 Rookie Stars cards group a club's prospects under one number - except #553, which mixes Braves and Angels, and #591 NL Rookie Stars, which mixes Dodgers and Phillies. The class is headlined by #254 (Ferguson Jenkins, with Bill Sorrell) and #288 (Don Sutton, with Bill Singer).
Is #563 a rookie card for both players?
No. #563 is the rookie card of Pete Cimino only; Cesar Tovar is not credited with a rookie card on it.
Why is #563 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last print series, #523-598 - the scarce end of the set. Forty-three of its 76 cards are short prints, so scarcity is stated for the series as a whole.
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.