1956 Topps #323 Willard Schmidt
1956 Topps #323 Willard Schmidt
About Willard Schmidt
A right-handed pitcher born in 1928 in Hays, Kansas (d. 2007), Willard Schmidt made his major-league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on April 19, 1952, and spent seven big-league seasons split between the Cardinals (1952–53, 1955–57) and the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds (1958–59). He compiled a 31–29 record with a 3.93 ERA and 323 strikeouts over 194 appearances (55 starts) and 586⅓ innings. His finest season came in 1957, when he went 10–3 and led all National League pitchers with a .769 winning percentage. Schmidt reached Cincinnati as part of the multi-player trade that sent a young Curt Flood to St. Louis. His most famous moment came on April 26, 1959, when, batting for the Reds against the Milwaukee Braves, he was struck by a pitch twice in the same inning — first by Lew Burdette and then by Bob Rush — believed to be the first such occurrence in big-league history, in an 11–10 Cincinnati win. He was inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. This card is a Series 4 high number.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
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 | 715 | 1 | 19 | 221 | 212 | 148 | 69 | 45 | 0 |
| SGC | 42 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 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 Willard Schmidt card?
It is card #323 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 St. Louis Cardinals player.
Is the 1956 Topps Willard Schmidt 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.