1970 Topps #189 Yankees Rookie Stars - Thurman Munson / Dave McDonald
On this card: Thurman Munson, Dave McDonald
About this card
This is one of the forty Rookie Stars cards, each showing two or three rookies from one club; #654 (National League) and #702 (American League) each mix three clubs. A Rookie Stars card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #36, #74, #109, #154, #267, #317, #429, #573, #669 and #683 one of them had already appeared on one, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
The story on this card
Munson hit .256 with one home run in 26 games for the 1969 Yankees, and Topps paired him with Dave McDonald on Rookie Stars card #189. It is Munson's rookie card, a second-series issue and one of the key rookie cards of the set. He had been hitting .363 at Syracuse when the Yankees activated him on August 8, 1969, and he got his first big league hit off Oakland's Catfish Hunter in the second game of a doubleheader that day. Yankees catcher from 1969 to 1979 and captain from 1976, the 1970 Rookie of the Year and 1976 American League MVP on three straight pennant winners. He died in a plane crash at Akron-Canton airport in August 1979, at 32.
McDonald shares Rookie Stars card #189 in the second series with Thurman Munson, both listed with the New York Yankees. It is a rookie card for both men and one of the key rookie cards of the 1970 set. Seven of his 1969 appearances with the Yankees came at first base. First baseman who played 33 games for the 1969 Yankees and 1971 Expos, hitting .145. His one home run came off Philadelphia's Rick Wise at Jarry Park in his second game with Montreal.
Sources: Wikipedia (Thurman Munson) · Wikipedia (Dave McDonald) · SABR BioProject · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 7,825 | 4 | 88 | 918 | 1,319 | 1,591 | 1,313 | 2,577 | 15 |
| SGC | 2,883 | 0 | 7 | 77 | 338 | 539 | 712 | 1,165 | 45 |
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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Related cards
Team card: #399 New York Yankees
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- #23 Bill Robinson
- #43 Jack Aker
- #70 1969 American League Pitching Leaders
- #82 Frank Fernandez
- #100 Mel Stottlemyre
- #114 Gene Michael
- #142 Fritz Peterson
- #167 Bill Burbach
- #219 Jerry Kenney
- #253 Ron Woods
- #273 Ralph Houk
- #297 Curt Blefary
- #333 Bobby Murcer
- #349 Steve Hamilton
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #189 card?
It is card #189 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Thurman Munson and Dave McDonald. This is one of the forty Rookie Stars cards, each showing two or three rookies from one club; #654 (National League) and #702 (American League) each mix three clubs. A Rookie Stars card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #36, #74, #109, #154, #267, #317, #429, #573, #669 and #683 one of them had already appeared on one, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
Is 1970 Topps #189 a rookie card?
Yes - #189 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Thurman Munson and Dave McDonald.
What are the key cards in the 1970 Topps set?
#189 Yankees 1970 Rookie Stars - the Thurman Munson rookie card, shared with Dave McDonald - #350 Roberto Clemente and #712 Nolan Ryan are the headline cards. The other key cards are #286 Dodgers 1970 Rookie Stars, the Bill Buckner rookie card (with Jack Jenkins), #459 Reggie Jackson and #469 Sam McDowell from the All-Star run, #500 Hank Aaron, #600 Willie Mays, and the high numbers #640 Al Kaline, #660 Johnny Bench and #700 Frank Robinson. The high numbers, #634-720, are the seventh series and the toughest series of the set to find.
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.