1957 Topps #21 Frank Sullivan
About Frank Sullivan
Frank Sullivan signed with the Red Sox in 1948 after scout Jack Corbett saw him pitching American Legion ball, then served in the Korean War, logging 4½ months of front-line combat that earned him the Combat Infantryman Badge. Debuting at Fenway Park in July 1953, the 6-foot-7 right-hander was dubbed the "Boston Skyscraper," one of the tallest pitchers in major-league history. He anchored Boston's rotation through 1960, tying Whitey Ford for the 1955 AL lead with 18 wins while topping the league with 260 innings, and made the 1955 and 1956 All-Star teams — losing the '55 game on Stan Musial's 12th-inning walk-off homer after 3⅓ scoreless frames. Dealt to the Phillies for 6-foot-8 Gene Conley in "the tallest trade in major-league history," he finished with Minnesota in 1963 at 97-100 with a 3.60 ERA. This card catches him in 1957, the year Norman Rockwell painted him into "The Rookie." Elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008, he retired to Kauai with great pal Sammy White.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 591 | 1 | 27 | 173 | 204 | 108 | 52 | 26 | 0 |
| SGC | 38 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 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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Related cards
More Boston Red Sox cards:
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- #56 Dave Sisler
- #63 Ike Delock
- #75 Jimmy Piersall
- #92 Mickey Vernon
- #112 Tom Brewer
- #118 Bob Porterfield
- #131 Milt Bolling
- #163 Sammy White
- #171 Boston Red Sox
- #189 Willard Nixon
- #202 Dick Gernert
- #217 Gene Stephens
- #220 Jackie Jensen
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Frank Sullivan card?
It is card #21 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 Frank Sullivan, Boston Red Sox.
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.