1976 Topps #23 Brian Downing
About Brian Downing
Downing hit .256 in 1976, up from .240 the year before. Of his 104 games, 93 came behind the plate. He had 3 home runs, 30 RBI and 7 stolen bases. His 1976 Topps card, #23, shows him with the White Sox.
Brian Downing caught for the Chicago White Sox, became an outfielder and designated hitter with the California Angels, and finished with the Texas Rangers, playing 20 major league seasons from 1973 to 1992. After being cut from his high school team, he signed as an amateur free agent in August 1969 following an all-comers White Sox tryout. On the first pitch of his first big-league inning he wrecked his knee on a diving catch and landed on the 60-day disabled list. A trade to the Angels turned his career: after a winter of weight training and a changed batting stance he broke through in 1979. A broken ankle in 1980 moved him to the outfield, where he later set American League records for errorless games and for chances in an errorless season. He hit 20 or more home runs in six of seven seasons from 1982 to 1988, led the league with 106 walks in 1987, and retired with 2,099 hits, 275 home runs and 1,073 RBI. He was inducted into the California Angels Hall of Fame in 2009.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 125 | 11 | 48 | 54 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #656 Chicago White Sox Team
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- #180 Rich Gossage
- #205 1975 Major League Leading Fireman
- #212 Pat Kelly
- #237 Dave Hamilton
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- #282 Dan Osborn
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- #368 Wilbur Wood
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #23 card?
It is card #23 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing Brian Downing of the Chicago White Sox.
How many cards are in the 1976 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1 through 660 with none skipped and printed in equal quantities as a single series. No card carries a catalogued print variation, so the base set and the master set are the same 660 cards.
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.