1968 Topps #244 John Donaldson
About John Donaldson
Card #244 in Topps' 1968 series 3 shows Donaldson with the Oakland Athletics; it is a recognized rookie card. He was coming off a .276, 105-game 1967 breakout after taking over second base for an injured Dick Green, and he opened Oakland's first season entrenched at the position, delivering walk-off hits in April. A stomach ailment set him back, though, and Green reclaimed the job by August as Donaldson finished at .220 with two homers and 27 RBI in 127 games.
John Donaldson was a second baseman from Charlotte, North Carolina, who worked cotton-mill jobs and played semipro ball before the Minnesota Twins signed him in 1963 on the recommendation of Charlotte Hornets general manager Phil Howser and scout Billy Martin. Left unprotected, he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics later that year and reached the majors in August 1966. He broke through in 1967, taking over second base for the injured Dick Green and hitting .276 in 105 games, then held the job into Oakland's inaugural 1968 season before a stomach ailment cost him playing time. Traded to the expansion Seattle Pilots in June 1969 for catcher Larry Haney, he started at second base the rest of that year, then returned to Oakland in 1970 as a utility infielder. After three minor-league seasons, he came back for a final ten games with the 1974 Athletics. Over parts of six seasons Donaldson batted .238 with 292 hits in 405 games, valued throughout for his defense and work ethic.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 340 | 12 | 102 | 165 | 35 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 20 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 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. Slabs of the yellow team-letter #49 and #66 are 1968 Milton Bradley game cards and are not counted here.
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Related cards
Team card: #554 Oakland Athletics
More Oakland Athletics cards:
- #18 Mike Hershberger
- #38 Tony Pierce
- #62 Chuck Dobson
- #79 Ted Kubiak
- #109 Bert Campaneris
- #127 Paul Lindblad
- #146 Sal Bando
- #164 Ramon Webster
- #183 Bob Kennedy
- #199 A's 1968 Rookie Stars
- #224 Jack Aker
- #261 Dave Duncan
- #282 Rick Monday
- #303 Dick Green
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #244 card?
It is card #244 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing John Donaldson of the Oakland Athletics.
Is 1968 Topps #244 a rookie card?
Yes - #244 is the 1968 Topps rookie card of John Donaldson.
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.