1957 Topps #98 Alvin Dark
Uncorrected error: Born in '22, not '23 It was never corrected, so there is only one version of the card.
The #176 "Bakep" error: the back header reads "EUGENF W. BAKEP," the whole name garbled on the printing plate. It is the ONLY error Topps corrected in 1957, which is why the error back carries the premium — a PSA population near 215, topping out at PSA 8.
About Alvin Dark
A Marine Corps veteran and former LSU halfback, Alvin Dark signed with the Boston Braves in July 1946 and hit .322 in 1948 to win the majors-wide Rookie of the Year award — just its second winner, after Jackie Robinson — while helping Boston to the pennant. Dealt to the New York Giants with Eddie Stanky in December 1949, Leo Durocher's captain made three All-Star teams (1951, 1952, 1954), led off the ninth-inning rally capped by Bobby Thomson's 'Shot Heard 'Round the World,' and hit .412 in the Giants' 1954 World Series sweep of Cleveland. The June 1956 blockbuster that brought Red Schoendienst to New York sent Dark to St. Louis — where this card shows him, with an error: the back says he was born in 1923, not the actual January 7, 1922. A .289 hitter with 2,089 hits, Dark managed the 1962 Giants to a pennant and the 1974 Oakland A's to a championship, earning the nickname 'Swamp Fox' for allegedly soaking Candlestick's infield to slow Maury Wills.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 633 | 1 | 31 | 208 | 209 | 112 | 41 | 31 | 0 |
| SGC | 49 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded (the +/Q qualifier rows are excluded).
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #47 Don Blasingame
- #65 Wally Moon
- #71 Murry Dickson
- #79 Lindy McDaniel
- #81 Herman Wehmeier
- #94 Bobby Del Greco
- #111 Hal R. Smith
- #113 Wilmer Mizell
- #122 Ken Boyer
- #182 Hobie Landrith
- #196 Larry Jackson
- #203 Hoyt Wilhelm
- #206 Willard Schmidt
- #243 St. Louis Cardinals
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Alvin Dark card?
It is card #98 of the 1957 Topps Baseball set - the 407-card, 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch set that was Topps' first at the modern standard card size, with full-color photography and complete career stats on the back. It pictures Alvin Dark, St. Louis Cardinals.
How many cards are in the 1957 Topps set?
407 numbered cards. Collectors usually count 408 because #176 Gene Baker exists in an error ('Bakep') and a corrected back. The PSA master set adds the 8 checklists, 4 contest cards and the Lucky Penny for 421 items.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Beckett, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (Net54 / Topps Archives). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.