1966 Topps #498 Pirates Rookie Stars - Luke Walker / Woody Fryman
On this card: Luke Walker, Woody Fryman
About this card
The 46 Rookie Stars cards group a club's prospects under one number - except #553, which mixes Braves and Angels, and #591 NL Rookie Stars, which mixes Dodgers and Phillies. The class is headlined by #254 (Ferguson Jenkins, with Bill Sorrell) and #288 (Don Sutton, with Bill Singer).
The story on this card
Walker's 1966 Topps card (#498) is a Rookie Stars issue from the set's sixth print series, pairing him with fellow Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Woody Fryman as their shared rookie card. It arrived in Walker's second big league season, a year after his September 1965 debut; in 1966 he made 10 appearances for the Pirates, one as a starter, going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA over 10 innings and seven strikeouts. Left-handed Pirates and Tigers pitcher whose 15-6, 3.04 ERA 1970 season helped Pittsburgh reach the postseason, and who started Game Four of the 1971 World Series championship.
Fryman broke in with Pittsburgh in 1966, working out of the bullpen early before claiming a rotation spot, and went 12-9 with a 3.81 ERA, throwing three straight shutouts against the Phillies, Mets and Cubs. His near-perfect game against New York ended only on a leadoff single that was erased on a caught stealing. This card is a Rookie Stars issue from print series six, shared with fellow rookie Luke Walker, and stands as Fryman's recognized rookie card. A Kentucky farm boy turned durable lefty who pitched 18 big league seasons on a balky elbow, made two All-Star teams, and reached the postseason with both Detroit and Montreal.
Sources: Wikipedia (Luke Walker) · Wikipedia (Woodie Fryman) · SABR BioProject
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 276 | 3 | 28 | 139 | 67 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| SGC | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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. Where SGC registers no separate row for a variation state, its slabs of that card are listed under the base state.
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Related cards
Team card: #404 Pittsburgh Pirates
More Pittsburgh Pirates cards:
- #15 Vern Law
- #33 Jim Pagliaroni
- #54 Jose Pagan
- #71 Frank Carpin
- #99 Buc Belters
- #112 Manny Mota
- #123 Pirates 1966 Rookie Stars
- #144 Don Schwall
- #182 Jerry Lynch
- #210 Bill Mazeroski
- #215 National League 1965 Batting Leaders
- #221 National League 1965 ERA Leaders
- #225 National League 1965 Strikeout Leaders
- #235 Don Cardwell
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1966 Topps #498 card?
It is card #498 of the 598-card 1966 Topps Baseball set, picturing Luke Walker and Woody Fryman. The 46 Rookie Stars cards group a club's prospects under one number - except #553, which mixes Braves and Angels, and #591 NL Rookie Stars, which mixes Dodgers and Phillies. The class is headlined by #254 (Ferguson Jenkins, with Bill Sorrell) and #288 (Don Sutton, with Bill Singer).
Is 1966 Topps #498 a rookie card?
Yes - #498 is a rookie card for every player pictured on it: Luke Walker and Woody Fryman.
Why is #498 harder to find?
It is from the sixth print series, #447-522 - noticeably tougher than the first five. Nothing in #447-522 is short-printed.
How many cards are in the 1966 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 613 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no number used twice, and 14 cards carry catalogued print variations - five checklists, the trade and sold statement backs, the three-state #43 Don Landrum, three team-card dot pairs and the #161 Jerry Lumpe white streak - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, 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.