1960 Topps #545 Carl Sawatski
About Carl Sawatski
Carl Sawatski signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for a $500 bonus in 1945, straight out of Pompton Lakes High School in New Jersey, then converted himself from a shaky-fielding outfielder into a catcher to give his bat a home. It paid off: from 1945 through 1949 he led four different minor leagues in home runs, capped by a 45-homer, 153-RBI year for the 1949 Nashville Vols that earned him the nickname "Swish," for the sound of his bat launching another one out. He debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 1948 and, after stops in Chicago, finally stuck as a lefty-swinging backup catcher and dangerous pinch-hitter with the 1957 Milwaukee Braves, helping them beat the Yankees in that year's World Series. He joined the Cardinals in 1960, closing out an 11-season career there in 1963 — the run pictured on card #545, a short-printed high number from the scarce 507-572 series. Sawatski later ran the Arkansas Travelers and served as Texas League president from 1976 until his death in 1991.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 329 | 0 | 7 | 138 | 106 | 53 | 12 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #545 card?
It is card #545 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Carl Sawatski.
Why is #545 harder to find?
It sits in the high-number series, #507-572, printed last and distributed late in the 1960 season when fewer packs were bought. Those 66 cards are the toughest run in the set and carry the twenty Sport Magazine All-Stars.
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 2026-08-20.