1956 Topps #221 Bob Friend
1956 Topps #221 Bob Friend
About Bob Friend
Born November 24, 1930, in Lafayette, Indiana, Bob Friend turned to baseball after a high-school shoulder injury ended his football hopes, signing with Pittsburgh and reaching the majors in 1951 as a right-handed pitcher. He spent 1951-1965 with the Pirates before closing out 1966 with the Yankees and Mets. In 1955 he led the National League with a 2.83 ERA—famously the first pitcher to win an ERA title for a last-place club—and in 1958 he tied Warren Spahn for the NL lead with 22 wins. A durable workhorse nicknamed "The Warrior" (a tag carried over from his football tailback days), Friend never landed on the disabled list and topped 200 innings for eleven straight seasons, remaining the Pirates' all-time leader in games started, innings, and strikeouts. A multiple-time All-Star, he was a key member of the 1960 World Series champions, though he struggled in that Series. He finished 197-230 with a 3.58 ERA and 1,734 strikeouts. This Series 3 card sits among the higher numbers of the 1956 set. Not in the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 706 | 1 | 22 | 192 | 200 | 158 | 75 | 58 | 0 |
| SGC | 81 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 13 | 24 | 9 | 1 |
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 Friend card?
It is card #221 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 Pittsburgh Pirates player.
Is the 1956 Topps Bob Friend 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.