1956 Topps #331 Dick Hall
1956 Topps #331 Dick Hall
About Dick Hall
Richard Wallace Hall (born September 27, 1930, in St. Louis) was a five-sport athlete at Swarthmore College who signed with Branch Rickey's Pittsburgh Pirates for a $25,000 bonus in 1951. He reached the majors in 1952 as an outfielder — starting 84 games in 1954 — but hit poorly and converted to pitching in 1955, the role captured on this 1956 Topps high-number card. After stops with the Kansas City Athletics (1960) and Philadelphia Phillies (1967-68), the right-hander thrived with the Baltimore Orioles, where his pinpoint control and unorthodox, herky-jerky delivery (famously likened to "a drunken giraffe on roller skates") made him one of the era's finest relievers. Across 19 seasons (1952-71) he went 93-75 with a 3.32 ERA, 741 strikeouts, and 68 saves, walking barely 1.7 batters per nine innings. He won World Series titles with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970, pitching in the majors until age 41 while working as an accountant, later passing the CPA exam.
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 | 683 | 0 | 21 | 195 | 211 | 146 | 69 | 41 | 0 |
| SGC | 43 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 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 Dick Hall card?
It is card #331 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 Dick Hall 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.