1967 Topps #336 Joe Azcue


About Joe Azcue
Topps #336 in the 1967 set, from print series four, shows Azcue with the Cleveland Indians. Manager Joe Adcock told him that spring that Duke Sims would be the first-string catcher, and the two ended up splitting the work, Azcue getting into 86 games and hitting .251. Behind the plate it was his best season anywhere: he led American League catchers with a .999 fielding percentage. The club's new video cameras were trained on hitters Vic Davalillo and Max Alvis, but Azcue was catching behind them in batting practice and caught himself dropping his seat as the pitch came in, which kept him from getting his body in front of balls in the dirt.
Jose Joaquin Azcue Lopez, a catcher from Cienfuegos, Cuba, signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1956 and worked his way up through Class D, B and A ball while starring in Cuban League winter ball for the Cienfuegos Elefantes, helping them win back-to-back pennants and a Caribbean Series title. He reached the majors with Cincinnati in August 1960 but hit just .097 in 14 games, and that December the Milwaukee Braves purchased his contract. A year later Milwaukee traded him to the Kansas City Athletics, and in May 1963 Kansas City dealt him to the Cleveland Indians, where he spent parts of seven seasons and became the club's regular catcher. A right-handed hitter and thrower known for a strong arm - in 1966 he threw out 62 percent of attempted base stealers, one of the best single-season rates in major league history - Azcue earned his only All-Star selection in 1968 and led American League catchers in fielding percentage in both 1967 and 1968. Traded to Boston in April 1969, he also played for the California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring in 1972 with a .252 average over eleven seasons. He later managed in the minors and worked for decades in the auto industry.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 286 | 3 | 53 | 155 | 48 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 9 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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. PSA registers a row for every one of the 624 states; SGC lists no separate row for the #149 white-streak state.
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Related cards
Team card: #544 Cleveland Indians
More Cleveland Indians cards:
- #3 Duke Sims
- #24 Bob Allen
- #43 Chico Salmon
- #69 Vic Davalillo
- #95 Sonny Siebert
- #109 Tribe Thumpers
- #127 John O'Donoghue
- #145 Larry Brown
- #174 Dick Radatz
- #189 Chuck Hinton
- #214 Tom Kelley
- #233 American League 1966 ERA Leaders
- #237 American League 1966 Strikeout Leaders
- #253 Indians 1967 Rookie Stars
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1967 Topps #336 card?
It is card #336 of the 609-card 1967 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Azcue of the Cleveland Indians.
How many cards are in the 1967 Topps Baseball set?
609 cards, tracked as 624 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 609 without a gap - no number was skipped and none was used twice - and 15 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-12.