Lou Burdette - 1957 Topps #208
1957 Topps #208 Lou Burdette
About Lou Burdette
Selva Lewis 'Lou' Burdette (1926–2007) signed with the Yankees out of Nitro, West Virginia, in 1947 for $200 a month, then went to the Braves in August 1951 as a throw-in alongside $50,000 for Johnny Sain. The fidgety right-hander — manager Fred Haney said he 'would make coffee nervous' — fed lifelong spitball suspicions with the line 'My best pitch is one I do not throw,' and went 203-144 over 18 seasons, leading the NL in ERA in 1956 (2.70) and tying Warren Spahn for the 1959 lead with 21 wins. In October of this card's year came his masterpiece: three complete-game World Series wins over the Yankees, with shutouts in Games 5 and 7 — the finale on two days' rest — a 0.67 ERA, and Series MVP honors. A two-time All-Star, he no-hit the Phillies in 1960 and outdueled Harvey Haddix's 12-inning perfect game, 1-0. Topps' 'Lou' spelling here is the one Burdette himself used, though writers usually wrote 'Lew.'
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 612 | 2 | 16 | 180 | 197 | 124 | 44 | 49 | 0 |
| SGC | 52 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 3 |
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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Lou Burdette card?
It is card #208 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 Lou Burdette, Milwaukee Braves.
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.