1960 Topps #406 Billy Klaus
Cards #375-440 were printed on two back stocks, white and gray. White is the scarcer of the two, and the difference is the tint of the cardboard on the reverse — it is a stock variation, not a design change, so both backs read identically.
About Billy Klaus
Billy Klaus began pro ball in 1946 as a teenage third baseman in Class D ball, then spent nine minor-league seasons before winning the Red Sox shortstop job in 1955. Named the regular on June 5, the 26-year-old rookie hit .283 and sparked a Boston pennant charge that closed a 14½-game deficit to 1½, finishing runner-up to Herb Score for Rookie of the Year and winning the first Harry Agganis Memorial Award. Boston American writer Mike Gillooly dubbed him "Sparkplug" that June, a name that stuck through four scrappy seasons at short and third. Traded to Baltimore in 1958, Klaus shared the left side of the infield with a young Brooks Robinson, then supplied his signature moment on April 24, 1960: a pinch-hit, ninth-inning grand slam off Johnny James that, paired with Albie Pearson's earlier slam, tied the major-league record for slams in one game. His high-number 1960 Topps card, #406, exists with both white- and gray-stock backs, the white scarcer. Klaus closed out with Washington, Philadelphia, and Japan's Chunichi Dragons in 1963.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 389 | 1 | 23 | 175 | 122 | 37 | 21 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 14 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Neither grader separates the white and gray back stocks on this card, so the counts below cover both. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #494 Baltimore Orioles
More Baltimore Orioles cards:
- #12 Milt Pappas
- #28 Brooks Robinson
- #46 Jack Fisher
- #53 Jackie Brandt
- #60 Gus Triandos
- #79 Walt Dropo
- #89 Hal Brown
- #98 Gordon Jones
- #106 Billy Gardner
- #126 Chuck Estrada
- #127 Ronnie Hansen
- #179 Rip Coleman
- #190 Gene Woodling
- #207 Bob Boyd
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #406 card?
It is card #406 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Billy Klaus.
Does #406 come with a white or a gray back?
Both. Cards #375-440 were printed on two back stocks and white is the scarcer of the two. Neither PSA nor SGC separates them in its population report, so the graded counts on this page cover both stocks together.
How many cards are in the 1960 Topps Baseball set?
572 cards, numbered 1-572, issued in seven series - the last Topps flagship printed entirely horizontally. Cards #375-440 exist on two back stocks, white and gray, which collectors chasing every printed variety count as 638 pieces of cardboard in all.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-13.