1956 Topps #340 Mickey McDermott
1956 Topps #340 Mickey McDermott
About Mickey McDermott
A hard-throwing left-hander with a reputed high-90s fastball, Mickey McDermott was signed by the Boston Red Sox at 15 (his birth certificate was altered to read 18) and reached the majors on April 24, 1948, striking out the first batter he faced. Born April 29, 1929, in Poughkeepsie, New York, he pitched 12 big-league seasons for the Red Sox (1948-53), Washington Senators (1954-55), Yankees (1956), Kansas City Athletics (1957 and 1961), Detroit Tigers (1958), and St. Louis Cardinals (1961), going 69-69 with a 3.91 ERA and 757 strikeouts. His finest year came in 1953, when he went 18-10 for Boston. A rare pitcher who could hit, he batted .252 with 9 home runs and was often used as a pinch-hitter. Traded to New York in February 1956 (Whitey Herzog was later sent to Washington to complete the deal), McDermott spent that lone season with the pennant-winning Yankees pictured on this Series 4 high-number card, earning a World Series ring and pitching three innings in Game 2. Warren Spahn once called Ted Williams and McDermott the two greatest athletes he ever saw on a ballfield. He later wrote the memoir "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cooperstown" and died August 7, 2003.
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 | 1,052 | 0 | 8 | 139 | 231 | 265 | 199 | 210 | 0 |
| SGC | 132 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 18 | 32 | 48 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
More New York Yankees cards
- Andy Carey
- Joe Collins
- Bob Turley
- Bob Grim
- Bill Skowron
- Johnny Kucks
- Yogi Berra
- Phil Rizzuto
- Mickey Mantle
- Tommy Carroll
- Hank Bauer
- Billy Martin
- Elston Howard
- Tommy Byrne
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1956 Topps Mickey McDermott card?
It is card #340 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 New York Yankees player.
Is the 1956 Topps Mickey McDermott 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.