1976 Topps #41 Tippy Martinez
About Tippy Martinez
Martinez opened 1976 in the Yankees bullpen behind Sparky Lyle, who had regained the closer's job, and finished in Baltimore with a 5-1 record and a 2.33 ERA in 39 games. Eight of his 10 saves came with the Orioles. When he arrived, Earl Weaver asked whether he wanted to start or relieve, and he chose relief. Card #41 is his rookie card and shows him with the New York Yankees.
Tippy Martinez was a left-handed reliever who leaned on a sharp curveball and a pickoff move across 14 seasons, 1974 to 1988, most of them with the Baltimore Orioles. After a Colorado State season with a school-record 1.25 ERA, he signed with the Yankees and reached New York in 1974. The Orioles got him on June 15, 1976, in a ten-player trade that also brought Rick Dempsey, Scott McGregor, Rudy May and Dave Pagan. He stayed through 1986, set an Orioles record with 76 appearances in 1982, and was an All-Star in 1983, the year Baltimore beat Philadelphia in the World Series. On August 24, 1983, he picked off three Toronto runners at first base in a single inning at Memorial Stadium. Fans in the left-field bullpen area formed a fan club, Tippy's Tweeters, in 1980. He finished 55-42 with a 3.45 ERA and 115 saves, ended his career with Minnesota in 1988, and later coached pitchers for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 147 | 15 | 70 | 46 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #41 card?
It is card #41 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tippy Martinez of the New York Yankees.
Is 1976 Topps #41 a rookie card?
Yes - #41 is the 1976 Topps rookie card of Tippy Martinez.
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.