1964 Topps #556 Mets Rookie Stars - Steve Dillon / Ron Locke
On this card: Steve Dillon, Ron Locke
About this card
This is one of the fifty-seven two-player Rookie Stars cards in the 1964 Topps set: fifty-three pair two prospects from one club, and the four league cards (#548, #564, #568 and #572) pair prospects from two clubs. Every one of them is a rookie card for at least one of its two players.
The story on this card
Dillon's 1964 Topps card, number 556, is a high number from the set's seventh print series and pairs him with fellow pitcher Ron Locke as Mets Rookie Stars, a recognized rookie card for both men. That spring Dillon won a spot on the Mets' 28-man roster out of camp and worked in relief during the season, including an inning at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field and an appearance in the first night game played at the new Shea Stadium, where he was the club's fifth pitcher used. He retired the Reds in order in the eighth inning before allowing a home run and a run-scoring single in the ninth. He returned to the minors in May when rosters were cut to 25 men, closing out his big-league time with the Mets. A left-handed reliever from Yonkers who reached the Mets after a standout 1962 season in Class D ball, then became a police officer after his brief big-league career.
Locke's rookie season with the Mets is captured on his 1964 Topps Rookie Stars card, number 556, a high number from the set's seventh print series. The card pairs him with fellow rookie Steve Dillon, both pictured as members of the New York Mets, marking Locke's recognized rookie card. He worked 25 games that year, three as a starter, striking out 17 over 41.1 innings for a 3.48 ERA. A left-handed pitcher who split his lone 1964 season between spot starts and relief for the Mets, closing his short big league career that October.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 242 | 2 | 25 | 118 | 50 | 35 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1964 Topps #556 card?
It is card #556 of the 587-card 1964 Topps Baseball set, picturing Steve Dillon and Ron Locke. This is one of the fifty-seven two-player Rookie Stars cards in the 1964 Topps set: fifty-three pair two prospects from one club, and the four league cards (#548, #564, #568 and #572) pair prospects from two clubs. Every one of them is a rookie card for at least one of its two players.
Is 1964 Topps #556 a rookie card?
Yes - #556 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Steve Dillon and Ron Locke.
Is 1964 Topps #556 a scarce card?
It is a high number card from the seventh print series, #523-587, distributed last. Scarcer than the rest of the set but only mildly so - the high premium runs roughly 55-60 percent, far milder than the 1952-62 highs.
How many cards are in the 1964 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 589 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 587 with no gaps, and no number carries two different cards; two cards - #4, the A.L. Pitching Leaders, and #517, the seventh-series checklist - carry a catalogued back variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, Baseball Almanac, 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 2026-10-11.