1970 Topps #26 Tug McGraw
About Tug McGraw
McGraw worked all 57 of his 1970 games in relief, going 4-6 with a 3.28 ERA and ten saves. He struck out 81 batters in 90 2/3 innings. At the plate he had five RBI in 13 at-bats. His Mets card, #26, belongs to the first series.
Tug McGraw signed with the Mets after his older brother Hank urged scout Roy Partee to give him a look. The $7,000 bonus brought the California left-hander into professional baseball in 1964. His mother had called him Tugger as an infant because of the way he nursed, and he insisted on Tug even when his kindergarten teacher called the name Frank. Across 19 major league seasons with New York and Philadelphia, he recorded 180 saves. His shout of "Ya Gotta Believe" became the Mets' rallying cry in 1973. In 1980, he struck out Willie Wilson to end the World Series and secure the Phillies' first championship. McGraw later worked as a television sports reporter in Philadelphia. He died of brain cancer in 2004; his son Tim became a country singer.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 340 | 4 | 42 | 134 | 65 | 41 | 24 | 30 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #26 card?
It is card #26 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tug McGraw of the New York Mets.
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.