1963 Topps #454 Art Fowler
About Art Fowler
This was Fowler's best year in an Angels uniform: 5-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 10 saves in 57 games, every one of them in relief, covering 89 and a third innings. He walked just 19 batters all season against 53 strikeouts, the sort of control that keeps a pitcher in his forties employed, and only Julio Navarro saved more games for the club. His 1963 Topps card, #454, sits in the set's sixth print series, which makes it a semi-high number - a little tougher than a common. Two states exist, with the card number on the back printed over either a white or an orange background.
John Arthur Fowler (1922-2007) was a right-handed pitcher and, later, a longtime pitching coach best known for his partnership with manager Billy Martin. Born in Converse, South Carolina, one of ten children, he came up through the Carolina textile leagues and was signed by the New York Giants in 1944, then spent a decade grinding through the minors, leading the Southern Association in games, innings and ERA for the 1953 Atlanta Crackers. He did not reach the majors until he was 31, debuting for the Cincinnati Reds in 1954 and going 12-10 with a 3.83 ERA as a rookie. After several seasons as a starter and reliever in Cincinnati and a rough 1959 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he resurfaced at 38 with the expansion Los Angeles Angels and pitched almost entirely in relief from 1961 through 1964. He finished 54-51 with 32 saves and a 4.03 ERA in 362 games. He then followed Martin through five organizations as a pitching coach, including four stints with the New York Yankees, and was on the staff for their 1977 and 1978 World Series titles and for Ron Guidry's 1978 Cy Young season.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Print variations
Two states of #454 are tracked individually: 454a - Card # on white background and 454b - Card # on orange background. The difference is on the back of the card (print color).
States catalogued by the PSA master set registry and the Trading Card Database; each is tracked here individually.
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Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 454a - Card # on white background | |||||||||
| PSA | 124 | 0 | 9 | 55 | 33 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 32 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 454b - Card # on orange background | |||||||||
| PSA | 218 | 1 | 28 | 90 | 53 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 0 |
| SGC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Not designated by PSA | |||||||||
| PSA | 65 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-09-24. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. Where a grader registers a variation separately its population is listed under that variation; slabs whose label names no variation are listed as not designated.
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Related cards
Team card: #39 Los Angeles Angels
More Los Angeles Angels cards:
- #4 1962 American League Home Run Leaders
- #6 1962 American League E.R.A. Leaders
- #17 Ryne Duren
- #33 Bo Belinsky
- #57 Billy Moran
- #98 George Thomas
- #114 Dan Osinski
- #117 Jacke Davis
- #167 Jim Fregosi
- #169 1963 Rookie Stars
- #182 Albie Pearson
- #207 Ken Hunt
- #231 Eli Grba
- #249 Leo Burke
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #454 card?
It is card #454 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Art Fowler of the Los Angeles Angels.
Does 1963 Topps #454 have variations?
Yes. Two states are catalogued and tracked separately: 454a - Card # on white background (The card number sits on a white background - PSA's first-listed state. Some catalogs letter the orange card first, so go by the wording, never the letter) and 454b - Card # on orange background (The card number sits on an orange background). Owning any one of them fills the #454 slot; the master set counts each state.
Why is #454 harder to find?
It is a semi-high card from the sixth print series, #447-511 - the run where the set's short prints sit. Scarcer than series 1-5, easier than series 7.
How many cards are in the 1963 Topps Baseball set?
576 cards, tracked as 583 collectible states. The numbers run from 1 to 576 with no gaps and no number used twice, and seven cards carry a catalogued print variation - three checklists, the two Rookie Stars cards also printed with a "1962" heading, and the #341 Jack Baldschun and #454 Art Fowler print states - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, BaseballCardPedia, 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 2026-10-03.