1956 Topps #44 Windy McCall
1956 Topps #44 Windy McCall
About Windy McCall
John William "Windy" McCall was a 6-foot left-handed pitcher born July 18, 1925, in San Francisco. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II who served in the Pacific at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, he signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1947 for a $6,000 bonus and reached the majors in 1948. Over seven seasons he pitched for the Red Sox (1948-49), Pittsburgh Pirates (1950), and New York Giants (1954-57), working mostly in relief and compiling an 11-15 record with a 4.22 ERA, 12 saves, and 144 strikeouts in 134 appearances. His best stretch came with the Giants, for whom he posted a 3.69 ERA in 1954 and a 3.61 ERA in 1956. He earned the nickname "Windy" from Ted Williams during 1948 spring training after McCall jokingly told Williams to bring up his good bats before pitching batting practice. His card #44, from the set's first series, exists with both the common white back and the scarcer gray back stock. McCall died February 5, 2015, in Tucson, Arizona.
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.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 844 | 0 | 15 | 244 | 262 | 181 | 87 | 55 | 0 |
| SGC | 69 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 0 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 219 · White Back 625
SGC by variation: Gray Back 35 · White Back 34
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 Windy McCall card?
It is card #44 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 Windy McCall 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 Windy McCall 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.