1960 Topps #79 Walt Dropo
About Walt Dropo
Walt Dropo, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound first baseman nicknamed "the Moose from Moosup" for his frame and his hometown of Moosup, Connecticut, was a multi-sport star at the University of Connecticut who turned down the NFL's Chicago Bears and the BAA's Providence Steamrollers, both of whom had drafted him, to sign with the Red Sox as a free agent in 1947. After batting .359 at Double-A Birmingham in 1948 and needing more minor-league seasoning through 1949, he broke through in 1950 with one of the great rookie seasons in franchise history: a .322 average, 34 home runs, and league-leading totals of 144 RBIs and 326 total bases. He started at first base in the All-Star Game and won the American League Rookie of the Year award over runner-up Whitey Ford. A fractured wrist in 1951 ended his peak; he was traded to Detroit in 1952, then played for the White Sox, Reds, and finally the Orioles from 1959 to 1961, the club pictured on this 1960 Topps card. He retired with a .270 average, 152 home runs, and 704 RBIs across 13 seasons.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 458 | 0 | 19 | 210 | 151 | 50 | 13 | 15 | 0 |
| SGC | 21 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
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 #79 card?
It is card #79 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Walt Dropo.
What is the 1960 Topps Venezuelan version?
Topps licensed a parallel printing for the Venezuelan market covering roughly the first 196 cards. It is a separate issue on thinner stock with Spanish text on the back, collected on its own and not part of finishing this 572-card set.
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.