1957 Topps #282 Jack Dittmer
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 Jack Dittmer
The last University of Iowa athlete to earn nine varsity letters — nicknamed "Skinny" for his lean 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame — Jack Dittmer turned down professional football to sign with the Boston Braves for a $6,000 bonus in June 1950. He hit .373 at Denver, debuted with Boston in June 1952, and held the starting second-base job as the franchise moved to Milwaukee in 1953. When the Braves spent $100,000 and six players on Danny O'Connell that winter, Dittmer slipped into a reserve role despite one headline noting he "Outhits and Fields Danny." Traded to Detroit for 1957, he was used mostly as a pinch-hitter before a late-June demotion to Birmingham closed his big-league career: 395 games, a .232 average, 24 home runs. This scarce fourth-series card, showing him as a Tiger, captures his final weeks in the majors. Back in Elkader, Iowa, he ran the family car dealership for decades and entered the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 479 | 0 | 7 | 116 | 181 | 106 | 44 | 25 | 0 |
| SGC | 39 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Detroit Tigers cards:
- #19 Bob Wilson
- #33 Jim Small
- #60 Billy Hoeft
- #72 Bill Tuttle
- #77 Paul Foytack
- #88 Harvey Kuenn
- #102 Ray Boone
- #125 Al Kaline
- #141 Al Aber
- #149 Bob Kennedy
- #168 Frank Lary
- #198 Detroit Tigers
- #205 Charlie Maxwell
- #223 Frank House
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Jack Dittmer card?
It is card #282 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 Dittmer, Detroit Tigers.
Is the 1957 Topps #282 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 #282 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.