1957 Topps #297 Jack Crimian
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 Jack Crimian
Philadelphia's Jack Crimian signed with his hometown Phillies in 1944, served in the U.S. Army in 1945, then went 13-4 for the Class B Wilmington Blue Rocks before the Cardinals drafted him that winter. The right-handed reliever pitched 74 major-league games for St. Louis (1951-52), Kansas City (1956) and Detroit (1957), going 5-9 alongside 151 minor-league wins. His peak came with Triple-A Toronto in 1955 — 19-6 with a 2.10 ERA and 16 complete games, earning International League Pitcher of the Year honors. In 1956 he appeared in 54 games for Kansas City, second-most in the American League, and held Mickey Mantle to two hits in 11 at-bats with five strikeouts. Sent to Detroit in an eight-player winter trade, he pitched only four April games as a Tiger — one of them yielding Roger Maris's first career home run, a grand slam on April 18, 1957. Inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, he is remembered here on a scarce fourth-series card from his brief Detroit stay.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 478 | 0 | 8 | 111 | 171 | 121 | 44 | 23 | 0 |
| SGC | 34 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 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 Jack Crimian card?
It is card #297 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 Jack Crimian, Detroit Tigers.
Is the 1957 Topps #297 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.
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.