Bob Thurman - 1957 Topps #279
1957 Topps #279 Bob Thurman
Uncorrected error: Born in '17, 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.
Scarce fourth series: #265-352 is the tough run of the 1957 set — roughly twice as hard to find as the other series ("tough, not rare"). No documented reason survives; the best-researched account is that Topps printed the hastily assembled final series in quantity and left Series 4 with the shortest run.
About Bob Thurman
Bob "Big Swish" Thurman — nicknamed for his free-swinging power stroke — starred for the Homestead Grays, hitting .408 in 1946 and helping win the last Negro National League pennant in 1948, then joined the Kansas City Monarchs. In Puerto Rico he became the winter league's all-time home run leader with Santurce, dubbed "El Múcaro" (The Owl) for winning the night games he pitched. Having shaved years off his age, he debuted with Cincinnati on April 14, 1955, a month shy of 38 — and this scarce Series Four Topps rookie card repeats the fiction, erroneously listing his birth year as 1923 instead of 1917. He hit three straight homers against Milwaukee on August 18, 1956, then slugged a career-high 16 home runs in just 190 at-bats in 1957, homering on his 40th birthday. A .246 hitter with 35 homers in 334 games, the feared pinch-hitter later scouted for the Twins, Reds, and Royals — Cincinnati reportedly "wouldn't have signed Johnny Bench without Bob Thurman." He died in 1998.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 469 | 0 | 5 | 75 | 186 | 129 | 48 | 26 | 0 |
| SGC | 29 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 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).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Bob Thurman card?
It is card #279 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 Bob Thurman, Cincinnati Redlegs.
Is the 1957 Topps #279 hard to find?
It is part of the scarce fourth series (#265-352), the toughest run of the set - roughly twice as hard to find as the other series. It is tough, not rare; there is no documented distribution reason, only that Series 4 had the shortest print run.
Is the 1957 Topps Bob Thurman #279 a rookie card?
Yes - it carries the rookie-card designation in the 1957 Topps set.
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.