1975 Topps #206 1968 MVPs
Part of the MVP subset (#189-212) — both league MVPs of one season, rendered in that year's Topps design.
Back reads "McClain" — should be McLain.
About this card
Cards #189-212 are the MVP subset: twenty-four cards, each pairing the American and National League Most Valuable Players of one season from 1951 through 1974, reproducing their cards from that year.
About the players on this card
Denny McLain
Denny McLain broke into pro ball with the Chicago White Sox in 1962, was claimed by Detroit on waivers the next April, and debuted for the Tigers that September at age 19, homering in his first big-league game. By 1968 the hard-throwing right-hander was baseball's biggest story: a 31-6 record and 1.96 ERA made him the last 30-game winner in major league history, a milestone he reached with a nationally televised win over Oakland. He swept the American League Cy Young and MVP awards that season — the first pitcher in AL history to do so — and helped Detroit beat St. Louis in the World Series, winning Game 6 on two days' rest before Mickey Lolich took Game 7. McLain repeated as Cy Young winner in 1969, going 24-9, before gambling and bookmaking allegations brought a suspension and a swift decline; he was out of the majors by 29. He finished 131-91 with 1,282 strikeouts and three All-Star nods (1966, 1968, 1969). This 1975 Topps MVP-subset card pairs him with the National League's 1968 honoree; the back misspells his name 'McClain.'
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 and spent all 17 of his big-league seasons in a Cardinals uniform, becoming the most fearsome starter of his era. He anchored two World Series champions (1964 and 1967), winning World Series MVP honors both times, and his 1968 season - a 1.12 ERA punctuated by 17 strikeouts in Game One of that year's Series - stands among the greatest ever pitched. That summer earned him the NL MVP award and the first of his two Cy Young Awards (1968, 1970); he was a nine-time All-Star. Nicknamed "Hoot" after cowboy film star Hoot Gibson, he pitched a no-hitter on August 14, 1971, and on July 17, 1974 struck out Cincinnati's César Gerónimo for his 3,000th career punchout - the milestone captured on his 1975 Topps '74 Highlights card (#3), paired here with his final base card (#150) from his farewell season. He also appears on the 1968 MVPs subset card (#206, with Denny McLain's name misspelled "McClain" on the back). Gibson retired with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts, then entered the Hall of Fame in 1981 in his first year of eligibility.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 629 | 4 | 101 | 366 | 98 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 31 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
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Related cards
Team card: #18 Detroit Tigers
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #206 card?
It is card #206 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Denny McLain, Bob Gibson. Cards #189-212 are the MVP subset: twenty-four cards, each pairing the American and National League Most Valuable Players of one season from 1951 through 1974, reproducing their cards from that year.
Does 1975 Topps #206 have an error?
Back reads "McClain" — should be McLain. It was never corrected, so there is no variation to chase - every copy of #206 reads the same way.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-08-20.