1961 Topps #558 Don Ferrarese
About Don Ferrarese
The Phillies picked Ferrarese up in April 1961, and this card catches him in his one full season in Philadelphia. Used as both starter and reliever, he made 42 appearances with 14 starts, went 5-12 and posted a 3.76 ERA over 138.2 innings - the best earned run average on a club that lost 107 games and once dropped 23 straight. Card #558 belongs to the seventh series, a high number tougher to find than the rest of the set. His first Topps card appeared in 1955, the year he reached the majors with Baltimore.
Donald Hugh Ferrarese, a left-handed pitcher born June 19, 1929, in Oakland, California, pitched in the majors from 1955 to 1962 for the Orioles, Indians, White Sox, Phillies and Cardinals, finishing 19-36 with a 4.00 ERA and 350 strikeouts. He graduated from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, enrolled at Saint Mary's College, and left after his freshman year to sign with his hometown Oakland Oaks in June 1948, three days before he turned 19; the Oaks sent him to Class C Stockton of the California League. Army service during the Korean War cost him the 1951 and 1952 seasons. Back with the Oaks in 1954 under manager Chuck Dressen, who taught him to throw his curve and helped his control, he won 18 games and struck out 184. Standing 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Ferrarese debuted with Baltimore on April 11, 1955, worked as both starter and reliever, and grew into a left-handed specialist late in his career, holding lefty batters to a .214 average. He also had a memorable day at the plate, collecting three doubles in a game for Cleveland. Ferrarese died November 4, 2024, in Durango, Colorado, at age 95.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 431 | 1 | 26 | 197 | 114 | 68 | 16 | 9 | 0 |
| SGC | 36 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 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 #558 card?
It is card #558 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Don Ferrarese of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Why is #558 harder to find?
It is a high number card (cards 523-589) from the seventh and last print series - the scarce end of the set, including the 22 Sporting News All-Stars.
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.