1957 Topps #301 Sammy Esposito
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 Sammy Esposito
A Chicago South Side product who starred in three sports at Fenger High School — once scoring a city-record 81 points in a basketball game — Sammy Esposito played basketball and baseball at Indiana University before signing with the hometown White Sox in August 1952. He debuted that September at age 20, the youngest player in the majors that year, and spent ten seasons (1952-1963) as Chicago's steady utility infielder behind Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio, batting .207 with 8 home runs in 560 games before finishing with the Kansas City Athletics in 1963. On the 1959 "Go-Go" Sox pennant winners, his 14th-inning opening-day single set up Fox's game-winning homer, and he appeared in the World Series against the Dodgers. Esposito later became NC State's winningest baseball coach (513-253-4 with four ACC titles, 1967-87) and an assistant on the Wolfpack's 1974 NCAA champion basketball staff. This card, from the scarce fourth series, is his Topps rookie.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 449 | 1 | 13 | 127 | 137 | 102 | 39 | 30 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 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 Sammy Esposito card?
It is card #301 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 Sammy Esposito, Chicago White Sox.
Is the 1957 Topps #301 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 #301 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.
Is the 1957 Topps Sammy Esposito #301 a rookie card?
Yes - it carries the rookie-card designation in the 1957 Topps set.
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.