1956 Topps #39 Don Mossi
1956 Topps #39 Don Mossi
About Don Mossi
Signed by the Cleveland Indians out of high school in 1949, left-hander Don Mossi (1929-2019) climbed through the club's farm system at Bakersfield, Wichita, Dallas and Tulsa, where a switch to a three-finger grip cured his early control troubles. He reached the majors in 1954 and, blocked by a legendary rotation of Wynn, Lemon, Feller and Garcia, thrived in the bullpen instead, going 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA for the 111-win pennant winners. Paired with right-hander Ray Narleski, he formed one of the game's first true lefty-righty relief tandems, and he threw four scoreless innings across three games in the 1954 World Series sweep by the Giants. Named an American League All-Star in 1957, Mossi later moved into Detroit's starting rotation, winning 17 games in 1959 and going 15-7 in 1961. Over 12 seasons (Indians 1954-58, Tigers 1959-63, White Sox 1964, Athletics 1965) he went 101-80 with a 3.43 ERA, 50 saves and 932 strikeouts, retiring with a .990 fielding percentage that was then the best ever for a pitcher. Teammates called him "Ears" for his prominent ears and "The Sphinx" for his stoic look. On this card, back-stock color varies between the more common white and the scarcer gray.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 1 & 2 (cards 1-180)
Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
- White Back: Printed on white/cream card stock. The standard/common look on cards 1-100; the SCARCE, premium variation on cards 101-180.
- Gray Back: Printed on gray card stock. The scarcer variation on cards 1-100 (modest premium); the common look on cards 101-180; the ONLY back on cards 181-340.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 907 | 2 | 24 | 247 | 286 | 202 | 87 | 59 | 0 |
| SGC | 67 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 2 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 252 · White Back 655
SGC by variation: Gray Back 35 · Gray Back (Overprint - Westrum) 1 · White Back 31
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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More Cleveland Indians cards
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- Jim Hegan
- Jose Santiago
- Cleveland Indians Team
- Al Smith
- Bobby Avila
- Ray Narleski
- Herb Score
- Gene Woodling
- Early Wynn
- Bob Feller
- Mike Garcia
- Chico Carrasquel
- Bob Lemon
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1956 Topps Don Mossi card?
It is card #39 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 Cleveland Indians player.
Does the 1956 Topps Don Mossi have back variations?
Yes. Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
Is the 1956 Topps Don Mossi 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.