1957 Topps #17 Billy Gardner
About Billy Gardner
William Frederick "Shotgun" Gardner (1927-2024), nicknamed for his potent throwing arm, grew up delivering milk from the family farm in Waterford, Connecticut, and signed with the New York Giants in 1945 after a Polo Grounds tryout held on D-Day. He debuted in 1954 and collected a full World Series share as a Giants reserve before Baltimore bought his contract for $20,000 in April 1956. This card caught him at his peak: in 1957 the steady second baseman led the American League in doubles (36) and at-bats (644), topped all big-league second basemen with a .987 fielding percentage - including 55 straight errorless games - and was voted Most Valuable Oriole. He later won a second ring with the 1961 Yankees, finished his ten-year career (.237, 1,034 games) with Boston in 1963, then managed the Minnesota Twins (1981-85) and Kansas City Royals (1987).
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 546 | 1 | 14 | 165 | 181 | 105 | 49 | 31 | 0 |
| SGC | 30 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Billy Gardner card?
It is card #17 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 Billy Gardner, Baltimore Orioles.
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 2026-10-13.