1979 Topps #53 Mick Kelleher
About Mick Kelleher
On September 29, 1979, Kelleher went 3-for-5 and scored the winning run in the 13th inning of Chicago's 7-6 victory at Pittsburgh. He singled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Willie Stargell's throw sailed over Bill Madlock's head. Kelleher said afterward that he had taken a chance on Stargell's arm. He batted .254 in 73 games that season. The Cubs appear on his #53 card.
Mick Kelleher played 11 major-league seasons as an infielder for the Cardinals, Astros, Cubs, Tigers and Angels from 1972 to 1982. St. Louis drafted him from the University of Puget Sound in the third round in 1969. At Tulsa in 1972, he set an American Association shortstop record with a .979 fielding percentage. The Cardinals called him up after trading Dal Maxvill that August, and he started for the remainder of the season. Houston bought his contract in October 1973, and St. Louis bought it back after 1974. The Cubs acquired him for Vic Harris on December 22, 1975. He stayed in Chicago through 1980 before Detroit purchased his contract on April 1, 1981; California acquired him on April 21, 1982. Kelleher finished with 230 hits, 65 RBIs and a .213 average in 622 games. He coached for Pittsburgh in 1986 and Detroit from 2003 to 2005, then spent six seasons as the Yankees' first-base coach and infield coordinator, including their 2009 World Series championship season.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 54 | 5 | 21 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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 1979 Topps #53 card?
It is card #53 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mick Kelleher of the Chicago Cubs.
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.