1971 Topps #618 Tug McGraw
About Tug McGraw
McGraw and Danny Frisella shared the Mets' late-inning work in 1971. McGraw went 11-4 with a 1.70 ERA and eight saves. He struck out 109 batters in 111 innings. Opponents hit .189 against him with a .266 slugging percentage. His #618 appears in the fifth 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 | 686 | 0 | 32 | 370 | 220 | 41 | 13 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 65 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
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: #641 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #16 Ken Singleton
- #36 Dean Chance
- #68 1970 National League ERA Leaders
- #72 1970 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #83 Mets 1971 Rookie Stars
- #104 Dan Frisella
- #115 Donn Clendenon
- #136 Duffy Dyer
- #160 Tom Seaver
- #183 Gil Hodges
- #228 Wayne Garrett
- #259 Dave Marshall
- #278 Jerry Grote
- #310 Tommie Agee
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #618 card?
It is card #618 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tug McGraw of the New York Mets.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), 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.