1957 Topps #321 Red Murff
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 Red Murff
John Robert "Red" Murff didn't turn professional until 1950, when at age 29 he went 17-4 with a 2.96 ERA for Baton Rouge of the Class C Evangeline League. In 1955 he was The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year, going 27-11 with a 1.99 ERA for the Dallas Eagles — and the Milwaukee Braves acquired him for $40,000 plus three players in a deal famously settled by an eight-hour gin rummy game between the clubs' negotiators. A 35-year-old rookie reliever, Murff went 2-2 with three saves in 26 games across 1956-57 before arm and back injuries finished his playing days. His real legacy came as a scout: he delivered Jerry Grote, Jerry Koosman, Ken Boswell and — most famously — a skinny Alvin, Texas, high schooler named Nolan Ryan to the New York Mets, and Ryan praised him in his 1999 Cooperstown induction speech. Murff entered the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. From the scarce fourth series, #321 is his Topps rookie card.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 524 | 0 | 8 | 130 | 186 | 122 | 57 | 21 | 0 |
| SGC | 30 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 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).
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Milwaukee Braves cards:
- #4 Johnny Logan
- #20 Hank Aaron
- #28 Gene Conley
- #37 Frank Torre
- #48 Bill Bruton
- #68 Ray Crone
- #90 Warren Spahn
- #114 Milwaukee Braves
- #117 Joe Adcock
- #127 Bob Buhl
- #133 Del Crandall
- #143 Andy Pafko
- #188 Felix Mantilla
- #193 Del Rice
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Red Murff card?
It is card #321 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 Red Murff, Milwaukee Braves.
Is the 1957 Topps #321 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 Red Murff #321 a rookie card?
Yes - it carries the rookie-card designation in the 1957 Topps set.
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.