1960 Topps #4 Bob Purkey
About Bob Purkey
Robert Thomas Purkey signed with his hometown Pirates out of Pittsburgh's South Hills High School in 1948 and won 19 games with a no-hitter in his pro debut at Class D Greenville. A sore shoulder in 1955 sent him down to New Orleans, where Pirates GM Branch Rickey personally taught him a knuckleball to go with his curve and control; the new pitch, plus two years lost to Army service, eventually rebuilt his career. Traded to Cincinnati in December 1957, Purkey blossomed into a workhorse starter, making five All-Star teams (1958, both 1961 and 1962 games) and helping the Reds to the 1961 pennant, where he started and lost Game 3 of the World Series to the Yankees, 3-2, on eighth- and ninth-inning homers by Johnny Blanchard and Roger Maris. His finest year came in 1962: a 23-5 record, a league-leading .821 winning percentage, and a third-place Cy Young finish. He pitched until 1966 with the Cardinals and Pirates, finishing 129-115, and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1974. His 1960 Topps card, No. 4, catches him fresh off consecutive 17-11 seasons for Cincinnati.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 376 | 1 | 14 | 142 | 117 | 57 | 26 | 19 | 0 |
| SGC | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
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. 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: #164 Cincinnati Reds
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #21 Dutch Dotterer
- #32 Sophomore Stalwarts
- #45 Roy McMillan
- #61 Eddie Kasko
- #110 Cal McLish
- #119 Chico Cardenas
- #146 Ted Wieand
- #173 Billy Martin
- #176 Vada Pinson
- #187 Jay Hook
- #198 Jerry Lynch
- #206 Claude Osteen
- #219 Fred Hutchinson
- #235 Gus Bell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #4 card?
It is card #4 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Bob Purkey.
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.