1968 Topps #264 Ted Abernathy
About Ted Abernathy
Abernathy's 1968 Topps card, #264 in the third series, shows him with the Cincinnati Reds the year after his career-best 1967 campaign. He led the National League in pitching appearances with 78 games, going 10-7 with a 2.47 ERA and 13 saves over 134.2 innings. Late in the season Clay Carroll increasingly took over as the Reds' primary closer, a shift Abernathy felt limited his usage down the stretch, and before 1969 he was traded back to the Chicago Cubs.
Ted Abernathy was a submarine-style relief pitcher who spent 14 major league seasons, from 1955 to 1972, with seven clubs. Born in Stanley, North Carolina, he broke into the big leagues with the Washington Senators, but a serious arm injury in 1956 forced him to abandon a conventional delivery. After elbow surgery and years of rehab in the minors, he adopted an underhand submarine motion learned from a Senators teammate, and returned reinvented as a full-time relief specialist. Pitching for the Indians, Cubs, Braves, Reds, Cardinals and Royals, Abernathy became one of the game's most durable firemen, twice leading the National League in saves, in 1965 and 1967, and winning The Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year award both years. He set a then-record for games pitched in a season with 84 appearances in 1965. Over his career he compiled a 63-69 record, 148 saves and a 3.46 ERA in 1,147.2 innings across 681 games. He finished his playing days with the Royals in 1972 at age 39, closing out a career built on reinvention and workload.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 318 | 7 | 64 | 164 | 46 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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
Team card: #574 Cincinnati Reds
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #23 Chico Cardenas
- #48 Ted Davidson
- #74 Milt Pappas
- #90 Vada Pinson
- #108 Don Pavletich
- #130 Tony Perez
- #133 Fred Whitfield
- #148 Dave Bristol
- #171 Don Nottebart
- #196 Gary Nolan
- #213 Chico Ruiz
- #230 Pete Rose
- #247 Reds 1968 Rookie Stars
- #283 Mel Queen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1968 Topps #264 card?
It is card #264 of the 598-card 1968 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ted Abernathy of the Cincinnati Reds.
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.