1956 Topps #9 Ruben Gomez
1956 Topps #9 Ruben Gomez
About Ruben Gomez
Rubén Gómez (1927-2004), a hard-throwing right-hander from Arroyo, Puerto Rico, signed with the Santurce Crabbers in 1947 before the New York Giants inked him on February 5, 1953. He reached the majors that April and pitched ten big-league seasons through 1967 for the New York and San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and Minnesota Twins, finishing 76-86 with a 4.09 ERA and 677 strikeouts. His finest year came in 1954, when he went 17-9 with a 2.88 ERA and four shutouts to help the Giants win the pennant; that October he started and won Game Three over Cleveland, 6-2, becoming the first Puerto Rican and first black Latino pitcher to win a World Series game as New York swept the Series. On April 15, 1958, he blanked the Dodgers 8-0 in the first big-league game played on the West Coast, at San Francisco's Seals Stadium. Nicknamed "El Divino Loco" (the Divine Madman) for his fearless, brushback-heavy style — he famously drew a mound charge from the Braves' Joe Adcock in July 1956 — Gómez also built a legendary 174-win Puerto Rican Winter League career with the Santurce Cangrejeros and was elected to the Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame (1991) and the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame (1999). This first-series card, a double-print, exists with both the common white and scarcer gray back stock.
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.
Double Print
An uncut Series-1 sheet (110 cards, 10x11) shows 20 cards were double-printed - modestly more plentiful than their series-mates. The list happily includes #30 Jackie Robinson and #31 Hank Aaron. The only print-quantity designation in the set (there is no recognized short-print run).
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 948 | 0 | 16 | 267 | 292 | 206 | 84 | 81 | 2 |
| SGC | 84 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 26 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 0 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 224 · White Back 724
SGC by variation: Gray Back 36 · White Back 48
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 Ruben Gomez card?
It is card #9 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 Giants player.
Does the 1956 Topps Ruben Gomez 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 Ruben Gomez 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.