1969 Topps #486 Paul Casanova
About Paul Casanova
Card #486 comes in two collectible states: 486a prints "Casanova" in yellow letters, the common version, while 486b prints the name in white, the scarce side and the premium one, as on all 23 name-color pairs in the set's #440-511 run. The fifth-series card reports a dismal 1968: a .196 average, four home runs and 25 RBI in 96 games, with a midsummer option to Triple-A Buffalo. He was back behind the plate for 124 games in 1969, the first year Ted Williams managed Washington.
Paul Casanova, called "Cassie" by teammates, was born in Perico, Cuba, and signed with the Cleveland Indians in January 1960. Two releases and a barnstorming season with the Indianapolis Clowns followed before the Washington Senators signed him in October 1962. A 6-foot-4 right-handed catcher with a rifle arm, he threw out 40 percent of the runners who tested him. He reached the majors on September 18, 1965 and held Washington's primary catching job from 1966 through 1971, the last three of those years under manager Ted Williams. His lone All-Star selection came in 1967, and on June 12 of that year he caught all 22 innings of the longest night game in major-league history against the Chicago White Sox, then singled home the winning run. Traded to Atlanta for Hal King in December 1971, he backed up for three more seasons and caught Phil Niekro's no-hitter on August 5, 1973. An elbow injury in spring training ended his career in 1975; he finished at .225 with 50 home runs and 252 RBI over ten seasons. He later ran a baseball academy at his Florida home that drew Cuban ballplayers and former teammates, and died in 2017.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Print variations
Two states of #486 are tracked individually: 486a - Last Name In Yellow and 486b - Last Name In White. The difference is on the front of the card (name color).
States catalogued by the PSA master set registry and the Trading Card Database; each is tracked here individually.
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Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 486a - Last Name In Yellow | |||||||||
| PSA | 266 | 2 | 46 | 124 | 60 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 486b - Last Name In White | |||||||||
| PSA | 157 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 36 | 44 | 26 | 20 | 3 |
| SGC | 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 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. Where a grader registers a variation separately its population is listed under that variation.
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Related cards
More Washington Senators cards:
- #3 American League 1968 RBI Leaders
- #5 American League 1968 Home Run Leaders
- #27 Bernie Allen
- #48 Brant Alyea
- #84 Bob Humphreys
- #106 Jim Hannan
- #132 Dave Baldwin
- #153 Ed Brinkman
- #170 Frank Howard
- #199 Jim French
- #226 Bruce Howard
- #246 Joe Coleman
- #272 Ed Stroud
- #294 Jim Lemon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #486 card?
It is card #486 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Paul Casanova of the Washington Senators.
Does 1969 Topps #486 have variations?
Yes. Two states are catalogued and tracked individually: 486a - Last Name In Yellow ("Casanova" prints in yellow letters on the front - the common state of this fifth-series card) and 486b - Last Name In White ("Casanova" prints in white letters - the scarce state of the pair; white letters are the premium side on all 23 of the set's name-color variations (#440-511)). Owning any one of them fills the #486 slot; the master set counts each state.
How many cards are in the 1969 Topps Baseball set?
664 cards, tracked as 696 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 664 with none skipped and no printed number shared by two cards; 32 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately, 23 of them the yellow- and white-letter name pairs of #440-511.
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 2026-10-12.