1957 Topps #32 Hershell Freeman
About Hershell Freeman
Hershell Baskin Freeman (1928–2004), a 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-hander from Gadsden, Alabama, attended the University of Alabama on a combined baseball-football scholarship before entering pro ball in 1948, when he went 18-9 with a 2.35 ERA for Natchez. A September 1952 call-up with the Boston Red Sox, he blossomed after Cincinnati purchased him in May 1955. His 1956 season was one of the decade's great relief campaigns: 14-5 with a 3.40 ERA and 17 saves in 64 games, finishing a major-league-leading 47 of them — he won both ends of a July 15 doubleheader against the Giants — and drawing MVP votes as the Redlegs finished just two games behind pennant-winning Brooklyn. Manager Birdie Tebbetts called him the National League's most valuable pitcher. Freeman went 30-16 with a 3.74 ERA and 37 saves, all with Cincinnati, in 204 games, all but three in relief; he later scouted, managed in the minors, and coached Orlando high school baseball. This card shows him fresh off that career year.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 532 | 2 | 19 | 177 | 162 | 97 | 50 | 25 | 0 |
| SGC | 24 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 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 Cincinnati Redlegs cards:
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- #35 Frank Robinson
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- #69 Roy McMillan
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- #93 Hal Jeffcoat
- #103 Joe Nuxhall
- #128 Ed Bailey
- #157 Wally Post
- #165 Ted Kluszewski
- #180 Gus Bell
- #219 Tom Acker
- #222 Alex Grammas
- #228 Smoky Burgess
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Hershell Freeman card?
It is card #32 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 Hershell Freeman, Cincinnati Redlegs.
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.