Charley Thompson - 1957 Topps #142
1957 Topps #142 Charley Thompson
About Charley Thompson
Charles Lemoine "Tim" Thompson was a catcher signed out of Pennsylvania by Brooklyn Dodgers scout Bill Killefer in 1946 after a Mifflin County tryout at which he played shortstop, pitched, and caught. A steady .300-plus minor-league hitter, he became notable in 1952 as the first catcher in the National League to wear eyeglasses. His major-league career spanned the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954), Kansas City Athletics (1956-1957), and Detroit Tigers (1958): 187 games, 123 hits, eight home runs, and a .238 average, batting left-handed and throwing right. His busiest big-league season came with Kansas City in 1957, the year of this card. Fittingly, Topps misspelled his first name as "Charley" on card #142, a well-known naming error that his 1958 Topps card corrected to "Tim." After playing, Thompson scouted for three decades with the St. Louis Cardinals, signing Tom Herr, Brian Jordan, and John Mabry, and remained a scout into his 80s. He died in 2021 at age 97.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 518 | 0 | 18 | 196 | 173 | 80 | 31 | 19 | 1 |
| SGC | 42 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 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 Charley Thompson card?
It is card #142 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 Charley Thompson, Kansas City Athletics.
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.