1968 Topps #231 Dave Baldwin
About Dave Baldwin
Baldwin spent his second full season in the Washington Senators bullpen in 1968, appearing in 40 games and posting a 0-2 record with a 4.07 ERA over 42 innings, striking out 30 and picking up 5 saves. His unorthodox side-arm and submarine deliveries, backed by manager Gil Hodges's willingness to use low-slot relievers, had carried him from a career-threatening elbow injury in college to a steady big-league role. This 1968 Topps card, #231 from the set's third series, is recognized as his rookie card.
Dave Baldwin was a submarine and side-arm relief pitcher for the Washington Senators, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox from 1966 to 1973. Born in Tucson, Arizona, he was a hard-throwing prospect at the University of Arizona until an elbow injury in 1958 forced him to rebuild his mechanics from the ground up. He lowered his arm angle to a sweeping side-arm delivery and an occasional submarine curveball, an approach most organizations of the era discouraged, and it carried him to the majors at age 28. Senators manager Gil Hodges favored low-slot arms and gave Baldwin his chance in September 1966. Over six big-league seasons he went 6-11 with a 3.08 ERA and 22 saves in 176 games, highlighted by a 1.70 ERA in 1967. He never committed an error in the majors. After retiring in 1974 he earned a Ph.D. in genetics and an M.S. in systems engineering from the University of Arizona, later working as a geneticist, engineer and published poet and painter.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 362 | 38 | 113 | 149 | 35 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 22 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 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. Slabs of the yellow team-letter #49 and #66 are 1968 Milton Bradley game cards and are not counted here.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1968 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
More Washington Senators cards:
- #6 American League 1967 Home Run Leaders
- #31 Ed Stroud
- #49 Ed Brinkman
- #66 Casey Cox
- #96 Senators 1968 Rookie Stars
- #116 Ken McMullen
- #131 Frank Bertaina
- #149 Bob Saverine
- #188 Cap Peterson
- #209 Tim Cullen
- #248 Fred Valentine
- #268 Bob Humphreys
- #291 Dick Lines
- #320 Frank Howard
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #231 card?
It is card #231 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Baldwin of the Washington Senators.
Is 1968 Topps #231 a rookie card?
Yes - #231 is the 1968 Topps rookie card of Dave Baldwin.
How many cards are in the 1968 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 606 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 598 without a gap and no printed number carries two different cards; eight cards - six of the seven checklists, #10 AL Pitching Leaders and #400 Mike McCormick - carry a catalogued print variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball Almanac, Beckett, 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.