Friday, May 1, 2026

1988 Domino's Don McMahon

 

A simple photo, one that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Topps card of the era, though Topps might not have gone in as close up.

McMahon was an excellent relief pitcher at a time when relief pitchers were not as valued as they are now, so he pitched for seven teams over an eight-year career where he put up excellent numbers - in 874 games he went 90-68 with 152 saves and a 2.96 ERA. As a Milwaukee Braves rookie in 1957 he held the mighty Yankees scoreless over five innings in three games, helping the team win the World Series. Neither he nor the Braves fared as well in the following Series, though McMahon did make his only All Star team in 1958. He was traded in the middle of the season four years in a row - 1966 to 1969. In 1968 the Tigers sent Dennis Ribant to the White Sox for McMahon, who became a key member of the team's bullpen, going 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 20 games. He was traded to the Giants the next season, and retired at the age of 42 after the 1972 season. The Giants named him their pitching coach, but the team's bullpen was so depleted that McMahon was reactivated in both '73 and '74. The oldest player in the majors those years, he pitched in 31 games and went 4-0 with 6 saves and a 1.93 ERA. McMahon had gone to Erasmus Hall High School in Flatbush with future Raiders owner Al Davis, and even scouted for Davis during his playing career. In 1986, Davis recommended McMahon to his friend Tommy Lasorda, who hired McMahon as a Dodgers coach. In July of 1987, while pitching batting practice at Dodgers Stadium, McMahon suffered a heart attack and died shortly after.

I have 14 of his cards, from 1958 to 1972. I would be interested in trading for 1962 Topps #483, 1963 Topps #395 and 1965 Topps #317. 

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