1963 Topps #428 Carl Boles
The card's back cartoon says he served in the Army, but Boles actually enlisted in the Navy, serving four years including a posting in Long Beach, California.
Uncorrected error: The back cartoon says Army; Boles enlisted in the Navy.
About Carl Boles
This card catches Boles coming off his big-league debut, a 19-game stretch with the 1962 Giants in which he hit .375 with nine singles and pinch-ran in the National League tie-breaker series. He arrived at spring training in 1963 hoping to build on that showing, but a collision with the outfield wall in an exhibition game broke his ankle and kept him out of the majors that season. This is his rookie card, printed in the fifth series of the 1963 set.
Carl Boles grew up in Arkansas and Kansas City, starring in baseball, basketball and football before a Giants scout steered him away from a college football scholarship and into pro ball. He enlisted in the Navy in 1954 after a modest first pro season, spending four years stationed in Long Beach, California, where he mostly played service-team ball. Discharged, he returned to the Giants system and rebuilt himself in the minors, hitting .337 with 18 home runs for Double-A El Paso in 1962 before a midseason call-up to San Francisco. Over a 19-game trial that August, September and October he batted .375, all singles, and pinch-ran in a National League tie-breaker game. Teammates and fans often mistook him for Willie Mays, whom he closely resembled. He later starred for six seasons in Japan, where his suspicions helped uncover a major game-fixing scandal, before retiring in 1971 and moving into scouting.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 179 | 0 | 5 | 91 | 63 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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.
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Related cards
Team card: #417 San Francisco Giants
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- #7 1962 National League Pitching Leaders
- #9 1962 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #30 Harvey Kuenn
- #50 Bill Pierce
- #61 Ernie Bowman
- #85 Tom Haller
- #106 Bob Bolin
- #128 Matty Alou
- #138 Pride of the N.L.
- #143 World Series Game #2 - Sanford Flashes Shutout Magic
- #145 World Series Game #4 - Hiller Blasts Grand Slammer
- #147 World Series Game #6 - Pierce Stars in 3-Hit Victory
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1963 Topps #428 card?
It is card #428 of the 576-card 1963 Topps Baseball set, picturing Carl Boles of the San Francisco Giants.
Is 1963 Topps #428 a rookie card?
Yes - #428 is the 1963 Topps rookie card of Carl Boles.
Does 1963 Topps #428 have an error?
The back cartoon says Army; Boles enlisted in the Navy. It was never corrected, so there is no variation to chase - every copy of #428 reads the same way.
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.