1955 Topps #172 Frank Baumholtz
1955 Topps #172 Frank Baumholtz
About Frank Baumholtz
A standout two-sport athlete, Frank Baumholtz starred in basketball at Ohio University, earning first-team All-America honors and MVP of the 1941 NIT final before playing pro hoops in the NBL and BAA. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds and debuted as a left-handed-hitting outfielder in 1947, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Over 10 seasons (1947-1957) with the Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies he batted .290 with 1,010 hits, 25 home runs, 272 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 1,019 games. His signature year came in 1952, when he hit .325 for the Cubs to finish runner-up to Stan Musial (.336) for the NL batting crown; on the season's final day, in a famous publicity stunt, Musial pitched to him, and the normally left-handed Baumholtz batted right-handed as a sportsmanship gesture, lining a grounder that third baseman Solly Hemus misplayed for an error. Columnist Mike Royko later dubbed the slow-footed Cubs outfield of Baumholtz, Hank Sauer, and Ralph Kiner the "Quicksand Kids." This card is a series-two high number and double-print; its back carries an uncorrected birth date (it should read Oct. 7, 1918).
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.
Double Print (DP)
To make up for the four numbers that were never issued (#175, #186, #203, #209), Topps double-printed four high-number commons - #170 Jim Pearce, #172 Frank Baumholtz, #184 Harry Perkowski and #188 Charlie Silvera - so these are the most available cards in the otherwise-scarce high series.
Card-back note
Uncorrected error on the back: Birth date should be Oct. 7, 1918.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 756 | 0 | 12 | 142 | 196 | 201 | 116 | 89 | 0 |
| SGC | 77 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps Frank Baumholtz card?
It is card #172 of 206 in the 1955 Topps set - Topps' first fully horizontal design. It pictures the Chicago Cubs player.
Why is the 1955 Topps Frank Baumholtz a double print?
To fill the four numbers never issued (#175, #186, #203 and #209), Topps double-printed four high-number commons - #170, #172, #184 and #188 - so they are the most available cards in the otherwise-scarce high series.
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 Frank Baumholtz 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.