1957 Topps #206 Willard Schmidt
About Willard Schmidt
Willard Raymond Schmidt (1928–2007), a right-hander from Hays, Kansas whose four grandparents were all Volga Germans, debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals on April 19, 1952, and pitched for them in 1952–53 and 1955–57. This card catches him at his peak: in 1957 Schmidt went 10–3 and led all National League pitchers with a .769 winning percentage. That offseason he moved to Cincinnati in the trade that brought Curt Flood to St. Louis, working out of the Redlegs' staff in 1958–59 and finishing his career 31–29 with a 3.93 ERA and 323 strikeouts in 194 games. Schmidt owns one of baseball's strangest distinctions: on April 26, 1959, against Milwaukee, he became the first batter in major-league history hit by a pitch twice in one inning — plunked by Lew Burdette, then Bob Rush — and an inning later a Johnny Logan line drive off his pitching hand knocked him from the game. He was inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 640 | 2 | 44 | 254 | 173 | 81 | 61 | 25 | 0 |
| SGC | 34 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 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).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Willard Schmidt card?
It is card #206 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 Willard Schmidt, St. Louis Cardinals.
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.