1955 Topps #161 Chuck Tanner
1955 Topps #161 Chuck Tanner
About Chuck Tanner
A left-handed-hitting outfielder from New Castle, Pennsylvania, Chuck Tanner signed with the Boston Braves out of Shenango High School in June 1946. His 1955 Topps high-number card (#161) is his rookie card, issued the year of a storybook debut: on Opening Day, April 12, 1955, Tanner pinch-hit for Warren Spahn and homered off Cincinnati's Gerry Staley on the first major-league pitch he ever saw - the seventh player in big-league history to do so and the only Brave to homer in his first at-bat in Milwaukee. He played eight seasons (1955-1962) with the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Angels, batting .261 with 21 home runs and 105 RBI over 396 games. Tanner became far more famous as a manager (1970-1988) with the White Sox, A's, Pirates, and Braves, winning 1,352 games; his crowning achievement was piloting the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1979 World Series title, rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit against Baltimore. An unshakable optimist nicknamed "Mr. Sunshine," he was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year in 1972 and died in 2011.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (#161-210)
Series 2 (#161-210) shipped in the fall against the new football-card season, so retailers cut their orders and far fewer were printed. As a result the set's biggest high-number names - Roberto Clemente (RC), Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Gil Hodges and Duke Snider - are tougher than low-number stars such as Williams, Robinson and Aaron.
Card-back note
Uncorrected error on the back: Bio 7th line: 46 (shown 47).
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 726 | 0 | 6 | 115 | 175 | 196 | 103 | 129 | 2 |
| SGC | 75 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
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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- Dave Jolly
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- Humberto Robinson
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps Chuck Tanner card?
It is card #161 of 206 in the 1955 Topps set - Topps' first fully horizontal design. It pictures the Milwaukee Braves player, and is his rookie card.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1955 Topps high-number series (#161-210), which shipped in the fall against the new football cards, so far fewer were printed - the scarcest run in the set.
Is the 1955 Topps Chuck Tanner valuable?
Value depends on grade and its scarce high-number status. 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.