1954 Topps #166 Johnny Podres
About Johnny Podres
A left-handed pitcher from the Adirondack hamlet of Witherbee, New York, Johnny Podres was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before the 1951 season and dominated in the low minors, going 21 wins with a 1.67 ERA for the Hazard Bombers of the Mountain States League. He reached Brooklyn in 1953 and pitched 15 major-league seasons through 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers before brief stints with Detroit and San Diego. His signature moment came in the 1955 World Series: at age 23 he beat the Yankees in Game 3, then threw a complete-game 2-0 shutout in Game 7 to clinch Brooklyn's first and only championship, earning the inaugural World Series MVP Award. Podres won four World Series (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965), made four All-Star teams, and led the majors with a 2.66 ERA in 1957 after missing 1956 to military service. He finished 148-116 with a 3.68 ERA and 1,435 strikeouts, later serving 20-plus years as a big-league pitching coach. He died in 2008 at age 75. This 1954 Topps card (#166) is not his rookie; Podres first appeared in the 1953 Topps set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 879 | 0 | 11 | 97 | 187 | 209 | 149 | 225 | 1 |
| SGC | 155 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 49 | 62 | 2 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1954 Topps Johnny Podres card?
It is card #166 of 250 in the 1954 Topps set, issued at the peak of the Topps-Bowman 'Card Wars'. It pictures the Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Is the 1954 Topps Johnny Podres valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.