1956 Topps #311 Hal Naragon
1956 Topps #311 Hal Naragon
About Hal Naragon
A left-handed-hitting catcher from Barberton, Ohio, Hal Naragon signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1947 after impressing at owner Bill Veeck's open tryouts and began his pro career that summer with Pittsfield in the Class C Canadian-American League. He reached the majors for three games late in 1951, then missed two seasons serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War before returning to Cleveland in 1954. Over ten big-league seasons he played for the Indians (1951, 1954-1959), Washington Senators (1959-1960) and Minnesota Twins (1961-1962), mostly backing up longtime Indians starter Jim Hegan. Naragon was a member of the 1954 Indians club that won an AL-record 111 games and the pennant before being swept by the New York Giants in the World Series, and he caught four future Hall of Fame pitchers that year: Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Hal Newhouser and Bob Lemon. His finest year at the plate was 1955, when he hit .323 in 57 games. Naragon retired a career .266 hitter with 262 hits, six home runs and 87 RBI in 424 games, then spent years as a big-league coach, including with the 1968 World Series champion Detroit Tigers. He died in 2019 at age 90. This is one of the 1956 Topps high-number cards (series 4), the scarcer end of the set.
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 | 592 | 0 | 4 | 143 | 152 | 146 | 100 | 47 | 0 |
| SGC | 40 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 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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More Cleveland Indians cards
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- Jim Hegan
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- Al Smith
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- Gene Woodling
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- Bob Feller
- Mike Garcia
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1956 Topps Hal Naragon card?
It is card #311 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.
Is the 1956 Topps Hal Naragon 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.