1979 Topps #635 Don Baylor
About Don Baylor
Baylor hit .296 with 36 home runs and earned the only All-Star selection of his career. After a critical loss in Kansas City late in the pennant race, reporters asked losing pitcher Chris Knapp about a choke within earshot of Baylor, who ordered about 30 of them out of the clubhouse. He homered in the ALCS, which Baltimore won three games to one. Topps #635 shows him with California.
Don Baylor was a right-handed power hitter who played outfield, first base and designated hitter for six American League clubs over 19 seasons, mostly the Orioles and Angels. He crowded the plate and was hit by 267 pitches, the modern record when he retired, and he led the AL in the category eight times. He finished with 338 home runs, 1,276 RBI and 285 stolen bases. In 1979 he led the majors with 139 RBI and 120 runs, carried California to its first division title and won the AL MVP Award. He reached the World Series in three straight years with three clubs, Boston in 1986, Minnesota in 1987 and Oakland in 1988, winning with the Twins. He later managed the expansion Colorado Rockies from 1993 to 1998, winning NL Manager of the Year in 1995, and the Chicago Cubs from 2000 to 2002. He is a member of the Angels Hall of Fame. He was known as Groove after a line he spoke as a 20-year-old Orioles prospect that teammates read back to him in the clubhouse. He died in 2017.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 204 | 26 | 94 | 44 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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: #424 California Angels / Jim Fregosi
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- #115 Nolan Ryan
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- #267 Joe Rudi
- #291 Tom Griffin
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- #322 Danny Goodwin
- #339 Ron Jackson
- #368 Don Aase
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #635 card?
It is card #635 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Baylor of the California Angels.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.