1961 Topps #54 Earl Francis
About Earl Francis
Francis opened 1961 at Triple-A Columbus, where his manager called him the best pitcher in the International League, and Pittsburgh recalled him in early June to shore up a thin relief corps. After eight appearances out of the bullpen he got a start on June 29 at Forbes Field and outdueled Sandy Koufax, striking out a career-high ten and allowing three hits over eight innings for his first win as a starter. Arm stiffness undercut the rest of the summer, and he wound up 2-8 with a 4.21 ERA in 102 2/3 innings. Card #54 in the first series is his recognized rookie card, an early-run number.
Earl Coleman Francis, born July 14, 1935 in Slab Fork, West Virginia, was a right-handed pitcher who spent parts of six seasons in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals between 1960 and 1965. Signed by the Pirates in 1954 out of American Legion ball, he pitched one season in Class D, then served a four-year hitch in the U.S. Air Force, leading Bolling Air Force Base to the service's world title in 1958, before returning to the Pirates system in 1959. He debuted in Pittsburgh on June 30, 1960 and was on the club's World Series championship roster that fall without appearing in the Series. Standing 6-foot-2 and built like a football player, Francis drew praise from manager Danny Murtaugh for having the best fastball and curve on the staff, but recurring arm and shoulder trouble kept him from sustaining that promise. He finished with a 16-23 record, a 3.77 ERA and 263 strikeouts in 103 games and 405 2/3 innings, pitched his last big league game on September 27, 1965, and left organized baseball after the 1966 season. He settled in the Pittsburgh area, worked as a meatcutter, and died there in 2002 at age 66.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac (1) · Baseball Almanac (2)
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 366 | 6 | 32 | 189 | 81 | 29 | 16 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 21 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #554 Pittsburgh Pirates Team
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1961 Topps #54 card?
It is card #54 of the 587-card 1961 Topps Baseball set, picturing Earl Francis of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Is 1961 Topps #54 a rookie card?
Yes - #54 is the 1961 Topps rookie card of Earl Francis.
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.