1959 Topps #569 Bob Friend
1959 Topps #569 Bob Friend
About Bob Friend
Bob Friend, nicknamed "Warrior" and born Robert Bartmess Friend, debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 28, 1951, and spent 15 of his 16 major league seasons (1951-1965) as Pittsburgh's ace right-hander, a workhorse who anchored the rotation through years of losing and into the Pirates' resurgence. He led the NL in ERA in 1955 despite pitching for a last-place club, made four All-Star teams, and won a World Series ring with the 1960 champion Pirates, though he was hit hard in his two Series starts against the Yankees. Friend finished his career with 197 wins and 3,611 innings pitched, both among the most in Pirates history. His 1959 Topps cards (#460 and #569, a League Leaders subset) reflect his standing as one of the National League's most durable and effective pitchers of the era.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (Series 7)
The seventh and final series. High numbers carry a BLACK card-number box (the other six series use green) and were printed in the lowest quantity, so they are the scarcest cards in the set.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 360 | 0 | 6 | 97 | 114 | 68 | 34 | 41 | 0 |
| SGC | 28 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1959 Topps Bob Friend card?
It is card #569 of 572 in the 1959 Topps Baseball set - Topps' largest set to that point, issued across seven series with a circular color photo on every front. It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates player.
Is the 1959 Topps #569 a high number?
Yes - cards #507-572 are the seventh-series high numbers, printed in the lowest quantity and identifiable by a BLACK card-number box instead of the green box used on the first six series.
Is the 1959 Topps Bob Friend valuable?
Value depends on grade, the series (the high numbers run scarcer), and any variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, BaseballCardPedia, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data, images & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.