1961 Topps #202 Al Neiger
The back of the card carries his last name as Nieger, a Topps misspelling.
Uncorrected error: The back misspells his last name "Nieger".
About Al Neiger
Neiger's entire big-league career sits on the back of this Phillies card: six relief appearances in 1960, 12 2/3 innings, three strikeouts, a 5.68 ERA and no decisions either way. Philadelphia had jumped him from Williamsport, where he went 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA, through a couple of weeks at Triple-A Buffalo, and he debuted July 30 alongside fellow rookie Art Mahaffey. By the time this one was in packs he was back in the minors, pitching for Chattanooga. Number 202 is a third-series card, and it is his recognized rookie card. Topps spelled his last name Nieger on the back.
Al Neiger (March 26, 1939 - October 3, 2022) was a left-handed pitcher from Wilmington, Delaware, who reached the majors with the 1960 Philadelphia Phillies. He became a standout at the University of Delaware, taking first-team All-America honors in 1959 behind a 9-3 record, a 0.88 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 103 innings, a strikeout total that led the country's college pitchers. He also ran off a 55-inning scoreless streak, and he still holds Blue Hens marks for strikeouts, ERA and consecutive scoreless innings. Delaware sportswriters and broadcasters named him the state's Athlete of the Year for 1959. Phillies scout Jocko Collins beat out at least 11 other clubs to sign him that June. Neiger moved fast, from Class-D Johnson City to Class-A Williamsport and on to Triple-A Buffalo, before a July 1960 call-up in which he and fellow rookie Art Mahaffey debuted in the same game against St. Louis. Six relief outings were all the big-league work he got. A mechanical engineering major, he pitched in the minors through 1963, winning 43 of 75 decisions, then went into private business around Wilmington and managed a plant there until 2004. He is in the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame and the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, which took him in 1984.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 352 | 1 | 30 | 202 | 79 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 0 |
| SGC | 17 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. PSA counts are straight grades only; PSA half grades (PSA 1.5 among them) and qualified slabs are not included. SGC half grades fold down (8.5→8). Slabs of the two cards printed #463 are joined by description, never by number alone.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #202 card?
It is card #202 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Al Neiger of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Is 1961 Topps #202 a rookie card?
Yes - #202 is the 1961 Topps rookie card of Al Neiger.
Does 1961 Topps #202 have an error?
The back misspells his last name "Nieger". It was never corrected, so there is no variation to chase - every copy of #202 reads the same way.
How many cards are in the 1961 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 596 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 589, but #426, #587 and #588 were never issued and two different cards were printed #463 - Jack Fisher and the Milwaukee Braves Team card, catalogued 463b - and eight cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, 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 2026-10-05.