1969 Topps #601 Tug McGraw
The Trading Card Database and PSA's price guide both list #601 as a short print - the only 1969 card they agree on.
About Tug McGraw
Gil Hodges called McGraw in that June and told him he could be a great reliever and at best an average starter; McGraw agreed on the spot and never started regularly again. He finished 9-3 with a 2.24 ERA and 12 saves in the first season the save was an official statistic, and over his last 19 appearances allowed two earned runs in 38 innings. His only postseason work came in Game Two of the NLCS at Atlanta, three shutout innings for the save. His 1969 Topps card is #601, a seventh-series high number that the Trading Card Database and PSA's price guide both list as a short print.
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. pitched 19 major league seasons, 1965-1984, a left-handed reliever for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. He signed with the Mets in June 1964 for a $7,000 bonus and reached the majors the next spring at age 20, debuting in relief on April 18, 1965 and later handing Sandy Koufax his first loss to the franchise. Two rough years and a full season back in the minors followed before he found the pitch that saved him, a screwball taught to him by veteran Ralph Terry in the Instructional League. Gil Hodges moved him to the bullpen for good in June 1969, and McGraw went 9-3 with a 2.24 ERA for New York's first world champions. He became one of the National League's best closers, made All-Star teams in 1972 and 1975, and shouted "Ya Gotta Believe" into the 1973 pennant race. Traded to Philadelphia in December 1974, he pitched ten seasons there, helped the Phillies to the 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1983 National League East titles, and struck out Willie Wilson to end the 1980 World Series and bring the franchise its first championship. He retired after 1984, later anchored sports on Philadelphia television, and died of brain cancer in 2004; his son is country singer Tim McGraw.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 718 | 2 | 91 | 359 | 143 | 62 | 29 | 32 | 0 |
| SGC | 56 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1969 Topps #601 card?
It is card #601 of the 664-card 1969 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tug McGraw of the New York Mets.
Is #601 Tug McGraw a short print?
The Trading Card Database's short-print tag and PSA's price guide (its "Tug McGraw SP" row) both list it, the only 1969 card they agree on, and it sits in the high-number seventh series, the scarce end of the set.
Why is #601 harder to find?
It is a high number card from the seventh and last print series, #589-664 - the scarce end of the set. #601 Tug McGraw is the one 1969 card that the Trading Card Database's short-print tag and PSA's price guide (its "Tug McGraw SP" row) both list as a short print.
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.