1957 Topps #298 Irv Noren
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.
Double print (traditional designation): one of the 22 Series 4 cards Beckett lists as double prints. Press-sheet research (Net54 2025 / Topps Archives 2026) shows the 22 occupy exactly two full 11-card press rows and were NOT actually printed in greater quantity — the "DP" label is a catalog tradition kept because collectors expect it.
About Irv Noren
Irv Noren (1924-2019) took a $5,000 bonus from Brooklyn Dodgers scout Tom Downey in 1946 and hit immediately, even playing pro basketball for the NBL's Chicago American Gears until Branch Rickey ordered him back to baseball. After a 1949 Pacific Coast League MVP season (.330, 29 homers, 130 RBIs) for Hollywood, Brooklyn sold him to Washington for $70,000. The left-handed outfielder starred for the Senators (1950-52), then the Yankees, where he hit .319 — fourth in the American League — as a 1954 All-Star and earned World Series rings in 1952, 1953, and 1956. The 13-player February 1957 blockbuster that brought Bobby Shantz, Art Ditmar, and Clete Boyer to New York sent Noren to Kansas City, where he batted .213 before an August waiver claim by St. Louis — a brief stay captured on this scarce fourth-series card. He finished with a .275 average across 11 seasons (also Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers), later winning two more titles (1972-73) as Oakland's third-base coach under Dick Williams.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 479 | 0 | 3 | 59 | 184 | 139 | 60 | 34 | 0 |
| SGC | 39 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 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 Irv Noren card?
It is card #298 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 Irv Noren, Kansas City Athletics.
Is the 1957 Topps #298 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 #298 really a double print?
Beckett lists it among 22 Series 4 double prints, but press-sheet research shows those 22 form two full press rows and were not actually printed in greater quantity. The 'DP' tag is a catalog tradition; population and pricing show no real abundance.
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.