1956 Topps #288 Bob Cerv
1956 Topps #288 Bob Cerv
About Bob Cerv
A right-handed outfielder from Weston, Nebraska, Bob Cerv starred at the University of Nebraska on the G.I. Bill after Navy service in World War II, earning four letters each in baseball and basketball and becoming the school's first baseball All-American. The Yankees signed him in 1950, and he debuted in 1951, spending parts of eleven big-league seasons (1951-1962) with New York, the Kansas City Athletics, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Houston Colt .45s. Buried behind Mickey Mantle on the Yankees' loaded rosters of the 1950s, he was mostly a platoon outfielder and pinch-hitter, appearing in three World Series (1955, 1956, 1960) and hitting a pinch home run in Game Five of the 1955 Series. Traded to Kansas City, he broke out in 1958 with 38 home runs, 104 RBI, and a .305 average, earning the All-Star team's starting left-field spot and finishing fourth in MVP voting; his 38 homers remained a Kansas City Athletics franchise record. He became famous that season for playing through a broken jaw wired shut, subsisting on a liquid diet. Cerv finished with a career line of .276, 105 home runs, and 374 RBI over 829 games. This is a Series 4 high-number card, issued while Cerv was still a Yankee before his 1957 trade.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (Series 4)
Cards 261-340. Unlike most vintage sets, the 1956 high numbers carry NO series premium - they were distributed in similar quantities to the rest of the set.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 885 | 2 | 15 | 205 | 232 | 240 | 91 | 100 | 0 |
| SGC | 81 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 20 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-30. 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 1956 Topps Bob Cerv card?
It is card #288 of 340 in the 1956 Topps set - Topps' first set after buying out rival Bowman, and one of the most attractive issues in the hobby. It pictures the New York Yankees player.
Is the 1956 Topps Bob Cerv valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back or front variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, BaseballCardPedia, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data, images & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.