1956 Topps #279 Johnny Groth
1956 Topps #279 Johnny Groth
About Johnny Groth
Born July 23, 1926, in Chicago, Johnny Groth starred for the Navy's Great Lakes team before the Detroit Tigers signed the outfielder as an amateur free agent in August 1946; scout Wish Egan reportedly landed him with a hefty bonus. A center fielder, Groth tore up the minors — hitting .340 for Triple-A Buffalo in 1948 while leading the International League in hits — and arrived in Detroit amid "next DiMaggio" hype, with Life and Time magazines comparing him to Joe DiMaggio. His finest season came in 1950, when he batted .306 with career highs of 12 home runs, 85 RBI, 173 hits, and 95 runs. Over 15 big-league seasons (1946-1960) he played for the Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, and Kansas City Athletics, finishing with a .279 average, 1,064 hits, 60 homers, and 486 RBI. This high-number card captures him as a Kansas City Athletic in 1956, the year he posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage — the best in baseball among non-pitchers with at least 56 games. The Tigers reacquired him for 1957, and after retiring he scouted for decades.
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 | 748 | 2 | 25 | 238 | 230 | 149 | 69 | 34 | 1 |
| SGC | 55 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 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 Johnny Groth card?
It is card #279 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 Kansas City Athletics player.
Is the 1956 Topps Johnny Groth 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.