Denny McLain was one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball during the late 1960s. He won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968, becoming the last pitcher to win 30 games in a single season. McLain’s on-field success translated to high demand for his baseball cards during his playing career from 1963 to 1974. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of McLain’s most notable baseball cards and examine what makes them significant.
One of McLain’s earliest and most sought after rookie cards is his 1963 Topps card #498. This was McLain’s first major league card issued after he made his MLB debut with the Tigers that season at age 20. The 1963 Topps set featured McLain’s rookie card near the back of the 660-card checklist. The design of McLain’s rookie card follows the classic 1963 Topps style with a vertical full body photo on a white background. In gem mint condition, graded PSA 10, this rare rookie card in high demand can fetch over $20,000 at auction. Even well-worn copies in PSA 4-5 condition still sell for hundreds due to the significance of McLain’s rookie season.
McLain’s breakout season was in 1966 when he won 22 games and finished third in AL Cy Young voting. This success led to more attention on his baseball cards, including his 1966 Topps card #432. The design is similar to the ’63 rookie but now features a close-up headshot photo. In gem mint condition it has sold for over $1,000. What makes this card more notable is the rarity of finding high grade copies. The ’66 Topps set had quality control issues and McLain’s card seems to be one of the most prone to centering problems straight from the pack. Graded PSA 10 examples are among the rarest of all McLain cards.
Of course, McLain’s most iconic and valuable baseball card comes from his record-setting 1968 season with the Tigers. His 1968 Topps card #500 depicts McLain in a Tigers batting practice jersey. It was issued following McLain’s 31-win season and AL MVP/Cy Young awards. The design is colorful with team logo at top in an action posed photo. This is considered one of the most significant Tiger/AL cards of the 1960s. High grade PSA 10 copies have sold at auction for over $10,000 due to the rarity of the card in pristine condition. Even well-worn PSA 4-5 copies still attract bids in the $300-500 range for collectors wanting a piece of baseball history.
McLain’s 1968 season also made him one of the most popular players in the sport at the time. As a result, his cards appeared in several other 1968/1969 sets beyond just Topps. In the 1968 Kellogg’s cereal boxes, McLain’s card was one of the most widely distributed baseball promotions of that era. While lacking significant resale value on its own, the McLain Kellogg’s card is a fun piece of memorabilia sought by collectors. He also had prominent cards in the 1968 Leaf, 1968 Fleer, and 1969 Topps sets depicting him in a Tigers uniform that typically sell for $50-150 in high grades.
Unfortunately, McLain’s career was cut short due to personal issues off the field. After his record-setting ’68 season, he struggled with injuries and suspension in 1969 before being released by Detroit in 1974 at age 31. This makes his later career cards much more scarce. Notable examples include his 1972 Topps Traded #T72T card showing him as a member of the Washington Senators farm system and his 1974 Topps #630 card in an Expos uniform during his short-lived comeback attempt. Both these cards are quite rare in any grade and sell for $100-300 when available.
In summary, Denny McLain’s baseball cards provide a fascinating chronicle of his meteoric rise and fall in the late 1960s/early 1970s. From his elusive 1963 Topps rookie to his iconic 1968 MVP season issue, McLain’s best cards remain some of the most historically significant Detroit Tigers and AL issues of that era. While the condition challenges and rarity of high grades make true gem copies extremely expensive, there is still value to be found across the entire range of McLain’s colorful cardboard collecting career even in well-loved lower graded copies. His baseball cards serve as a constant reminder of one of the game’s most memorable individual pitching performances that still stands as a modern era record over 50 years later.
