1970 Topps #517 Joe Gibbon
About Joe Gibbon
Gibbon pitched in 51 games in 1969 without a start, 71 1/3 innings split between the Giants and Pirates, and his 11 saves were a career high that his 1971 season with the Reds later matched. He stayed in the Pittsburgh bullpen through 1970, saving five games in 41 appearances. Cincinnati swept Pittsburgh in the NLCS, and he worked a third of an inning over two games. He was released at the end of October. Card #517, a fifth-series issue, lists him with the Pirates.
Joseph Charles Gibbon (1935-2019), a 6-foot-4 left-hander from Hickory, Mississippi, was a two-sport star at Ole Miss. An All-America basketball forward, he averaged 30 points a game as a senior and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1957 before choosing baseball. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates that year, led the International League with 152 strikeouts for Triple-A Columbus in 1959, and debuted on April 17, 1960, winning a World Series ring as a rookie. His best season came in 1961: 13-10 with a 3.32 ERA in 29 starts. On December 1, 1965, Pittsburgh sent him and Ozzie Virgil to San Francisco for Matty Alou, and manager Herman Franks turned him into a bullpen man. A June 1969 trade for Ron Kline returned him to Pittsburgh for two more seasons. Over 13 seasons with the Pirates, Giants, Reds and Astros he went 61-65 with a 3.52 ERA. He struck out 743 batters and saved 32 games. Danny Murtaugh hung the ironic nickname "Gabby" on the quiet Mississippian. Gibbon later coached baseball at Clarke College in Newton, Mississippi, and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 194 | 12 | 58 | 86 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1970 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: #608 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #8 Jose Martinez
- #30 Matty Alou
- #52 Bruce Dal Canton
- #61 1969 National League Batting Leaders
- #94 Fred Patek
- #110 Bob Moose
- #141 Pirates 1970 Rookie Stars
- #166 Al Oliver
- #188 Manny Sanguillen
- #216 Chuck Hartenstein
- #236 Bob Veale
- #264 Rich Hebner
- #322 Luke Walker
- #350 Roberto Clemente
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #517 card?
It is card #517 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Joe Gibbon of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-25.