When it comes to baseball card sets, few have been as game-changing in hobby history as the 1957 Topps baseball card set.
Some sets are lucky enough to feature one or two key hobby milestones.
This one has three...
It's tough to say which one was most important.
Given that '57 Topps baseball was the first set to feature the now standard 2.5" by 3.5" dimensions, that may be its most lasting contribution.
But, being the first set to feature full-color photography was likely more shocking at the time.
And if those two things weren't enough, collectors were now able to see a given player's full-career stats on the card reverses for the first time.
Imagine what kids must have thought when they saw these cards for the first time.
Little did they know then, there were also multiple future Hall-of-Fame rookies hiding in packs of '57 Topps.
And so many years later, all of these attributes make it easy to see why this set is one of the most popular in the hobby.
And in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1957 Topps #95 Mickey Mantle
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $11,250
You'd be hard-pressed to cherrypick Mickey Mantle's best season out of a Murderer's Row of MVPs, pennants, and World Series titles.
However, you won't do much better than the New York Yankees icon's 1957 AL MVP campaign.
The legendary center fielder's '57 season was a statistical outlier.
In the latter half of a back-to-back MVP surge, "The Mick" became just the fourth player in the 20th Century to post an on-base percentage over .500 (.512), joining Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, and Ted Williams (who, remarkably, did it for the third time in '57.)
Mantle set personal career bests in batting average (.365), OPS (1.177), OPS+ (221), and walks (an MLB-best 146).
He also led the league in runs scored (121) while cracking 34 home runs and driving in 94 in 144 games.
This was prime Mantle on a level as rare as he was.
However, his Herculean exploits were not enough to push the Yankees to back-to-back World Series titles.
The 98-win Yankees engaged in a back-and-forth seven-game war with the Milwaukee Braves, ultimately falling in the deciding seventh game, 5-0.
Mantle was solid, yet unspectacular in the series loss, going 5-for-19 (.263) with a homer, two RBIs, three walks, and three runs scored.
1957 Topps #35 Frank Robinson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $5,500
What sophomore slump?
After bursting onto the big-league scene as the NL Rookie of the Year in 1956, Cincinnati Redlegs outfielder/first baseman Frank Robinson made it clear that he wasn't a one-year wonder.
Displaying a tenacity and maturity well beyond his years, Robinson fine-tuned his hitting approach in year two and reaped the reward.
Robinson hit .322 for the fourth-place Redlegs, the third-best mark of his 21-year Hall-of-Fame career.
Spraying the ball to all fields, Robinson relied less on brute force than he had during his rookie year.
That led to a noticeable decrease in power numbers but made him a more well-rounded hitter.
At the same time, the young two-time All-Star earned an early reputation as one of the most fearless players in the game.
"Nobody had more guts at the plate than Frank," Earl Weaver said years later. "He curled his upper body and head over the plate and dared pitchers to hit him."
That iron-willed approach earned Robinson a league-best 20 hit-by-pitches during his rookie year.
He followed it up with twelve in '57.
Overall, the Cincinnati phenom slashed .322/.376/.529 with 29 home runs, 29 doubles, five triples, 97 runs scored, ten stolen bases, and 75 RBIs in 677 plate appearances (611 at-bats).
1957 Topps #302 Sandy Koufax
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $5,500
Something clicked for Sandy Koufax in the winter of 1956-57.
The 21-year-old Brooklyn Dodgers lefty went to Puerto Rico to play for the Milwaukee Braves Ben Geraghty.
Geraghty was widely respected for his handling of young players.
And while Koufax’s 3-6 record was nothing to write home about, he tossed a dazzling pair of shutouts with one hit and two hits respectively.
His flashes of winter greatness emboldened Brooklyn’s management to up his workload.
Koufax pitched in 34 games for the reigning NL champs, starting thirteen contests and finishing twelve.
He ended the year with a 5-4 record, pitching to a 3.88 ERA with two complete games and 83 hits surrendered in 104.1 innings pitched.
The Dodgers backslid from their 1956 perch, finishing third in the Senior Circuit with an 84-70 record.
It was a disappointing year for the boys from Brooklyn, yet it was a pivotal one in the career of their future ace.
Koufax struck out 122 batters in ‘57 for a career-high 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
The walks remained a nagging issue, but it was pretty clear that the kid was learning to trust his electric stuff.
1957 Topps #328 Brooks Robinson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $4,250
Before Brooks Robinson was Brooks Robinson, he was just a kid working his butt off to prove the doubters wrong.
"I thought Paul was kidding when he had me watch the kid work out one day," Baltimore Orioles teammate Gene Woodling once said. "He couldn't hit, he couldn't run, and his arm wasn't that strong."
What Robinson did have was pure, untapped potential.
It took him four years to put that potential into practice, but it was there nonetheless.
In 1957, the future Hall-of-Famer took his lumps.
After a less-than-spectacular 15-game cup of coffee the year before, the second-year talent was penciled in as the Orioles' starting third baseman to start the season.
It didn't last long.
Robinson's glove was slick if unpolished, and his baseball IQ was already quite impressive.
The problem was that he just couldn't hit.
The 20-year-old played just 50 games for the fifth-place O's in '57, posting a slight .239/.286/.359 slash line with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 126 plate appearances (117 at-bats).
He wasn't much better when sent down to Double-A.
His .266 average in 33 games was misleading, considering his .641 OPS was four points worse than his major-league mark.
In short, it was a disappointing year from start to finish.
It was also an essential learning experience for a youngster with all the time in the world.
1957 Topps #407 Yankees Power Hitters
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $4,250
This card has always been popular.
But, in recent years, it's seen a steady climb to become one of the most desirable in the set.
And it's easy to see why: Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra are two of the game's biggest legends.
The image on the front is iconic.
And the text on the reverse side is a perfect compliment:
"Probably the most feared power combination in the Major Leagues, Mickey and Yogi remind Yankee fans of the Murderers Row of Ruth and Gehrig days.
A perfect illustration of their devastating power was in the 1956 World Series when both sluggers poled three homers.
Yogi put two together in the last game of the Fall Classic to bring the Championship flag back to the Stadium.
Mickey is one of the all time long ball hitters and has dwarfed the feats of other sluggers by blasting fantastic drives.
Statisticians have tape measures ready when Mickey steps up.
In Washington in '55 he hit a ball they claim is still traveling.
Conservative guesses put the ball at a 575 foot distance from home plate.
Experts figure that if Ruth's 60 Homer mark is to be topped, the muscular Oklahoman will do it."
1957 Topps #20 Hank Aaron
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $4,000
Already a perennial MVP candidate heading into his fourth MLB season, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Hank Aaron took a giant step towards immortality in 1957.
A year after winning his first batting title, the 23-year-old phenom wasn't satisfied.
Moved to the cleanup spot behind fellow Hall-of-Famer Eddie Mathews, the 23-year-old phenom switched from a 36-ounce bat to a 34-ounce model.
The change worked wonders.
Narrowly besting Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst for his first-and-only MVP award, Aaron led all of baseball in home runs (44), RBIs (132), and total bases (369).
He slashed .322/.378/600 for the campaign, cracking 27 doubles and six triples while scoring an NL-best 118 runs.
Aaron was the catalyst for the Braves' first pennant in nine years and the first in Milwaukee.
He walked off the St. Louis Cardinals with a paradigm-shifting bomb on September 23rd, clinching a World Series berth in front of 40,926 delirious fans.
That was just the prelude.
Unshaken in the shadow of the juggernaut New York Yankees, Aaron torched Pinstripe pitching en route to the franchise's first World Series win since 1914.
Throughout the seven-game slugfest, Aaron went 11-for-28 (.393) with three home runs, a triple, seven RBIs, and five runs scored.
Though never corrected, this card is infamous in hobby history for using a reverse negative that incorrectly showed Aaron as a lefty.
Had the error been caught and later corrected, the error version may have made it the most expensive in the set.
1957 Topps #1 Ted Williams
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,800
Father Time gets everyone.
Yet, it sure waited a heck of a long time for Ted Williams.
Turning 39 before the final month of the 1957 MLB season, Williams was arguably better than his GOAT-worthy prime several years before.
Battling the expected litany of injuries and nagging pains that come with aging, the Boston Red Sox left fielder never let anyone see him sweat.
You could argue that Williams' 1957 season was leagues better than his MVP years in 1946 and 1949.
He fell a mere six hits shy of a second .400 season, settling for his fifth batting title at .388.
He also led the Majors in on-base percentage (a jaw-dropping .526) and slugging percentage (.731), and his massive 1.257 was the second-best of his unparalleled career (1941)
And oh yeah, Williams dragged the 82-win Red Sox to a third-place AL finish with his 38 home runs, 28 doubles, 96 runs scored, 119 walks, and 87 RBIs.
If not for Mickey Mantle, the living legend would have run away with his third MVP triumph.
As it was, The Splendid Splinter had to settle for an unreal campaign in defiance of the years behind him.
1957 Topps #10 Willie Mays
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,500
The New York Giants went out with a whimper in 1957, finishing their 74-year stay in the Big Apple with a dismal sixth-place finish at 69-85.
It was a tumultuous year full of back-biting, uneasy fans, and a sense of dread that the team was destined for a new home on the West Coast.
As it turned out, this was the last year for the foreseeable future that New York would field a National League squad.
Through all of the headaches and depressing lowlights of the ‘57 campaign, there was one constant worth rooting for: the irrepressible Willie Mays.
Coming off a down year that would be a career performance for 99.99% of the baseball world, the Giants center fielder became just the fourth player in the 20th Century to amass 20 or more doubles (26), triples (an MLB-best 20), and home runs (35) in the same season.
Furthermore, Mays topped the Majors in stolen bases (38) and paced the National League in slugging percentage (.626) and OPS+ (173).
Mays captured his sixth-straight Gold Glove and fourth All-Star nod, landing fourth on a stacked NL MVP ballot.
That marked the first of ten consecutive years in which the “Say Hey Kid” finished sixth or better on the league’s MVP ledger.
1957 Topps #76 Roberto Clemente
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $3,500
The book on Roberto Clemente, deserved or not, was that he was always hurt.
Or, more accurately, some thought he was always saying he was hurt.
"The case history of Clemente is the worse he feels, the better he plays," The Sporting News once quipped.
However, his friend and Pirates trainer Tony Bartirome once cleared the air, saying, "I was always working on him to ease the pain, and he pushed through it. He wasn't a hypochondriac. He was a fighter."
Regardless of what others had to say, in 1957, Clemente was legit injured.
Troubled by a back injury for quite some time, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder tried his best to make it work.
Clemente's ailing back cost him nearly two months' worth of games and cut deeply into his overall production at the plate.
His .253 batting average and .637 OPS ended up as the low-water marks for his 18-year Hall-of-Fame career.
Undeterred by Clemente's underwhelming season, Pirates manager Bobby Bragan leaned on the Puerto Rican standout as much as he possibly could, especially considering that the 62-92 Buccos didn't have much else going for them.
"I'd rather have a Clemente with some ailment than a Clemente who says he feels great with no aches and pains," Bragan said.
He got his wish.
Clemente was hurt all year long, so much so that he delayed his customary Puerto Rican League assignment until mid-January 1958.
1957 Topps #176 Gene Baker ("Bakep" Error)
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $2,750
Gene Baker made his Major League debut on September 20, 1953 when the Chicago Cubs purchased his contract from the Los Angeles Angels, a Minor League team in the Pacific Coast League at the time.
The Cubs originally intended for Baker to be their primary shortstop.
But, with the addition of Ernie Banks to their roster, Baker soon moved over to second base, where he'd be the everyday starter for several years.
Baker's best year came in 1955 when he led the Majors in games played (154) and made his first and only trip to the All-Star game.
Midway through the 1957 season, Baker found himself with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he'd win a World Series ring in 1960 before retiring in 1961.
Baker was a solid player.
But, he wasn't a household name like some of the other guys on this list.
So, why can this card be so expensive?
If you look closely at the reverse side of the card, the 'R' in Baker's last name will sometimes appear as a 'P.'
That error was later corrected, making any of those that made it into circulation quite pricey in high grade.
1957 Topps #18 Don Drysdale Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $2,250
In his first year as a full-time starting pitcher, the Don Drysdale finished at 17-9 with a 2.69 ERA, good for second behind Braves star and 1957 NL Cy Young winner Warren Spahn.
The 20-year-old righty was one of the few redeeming things about the Dodgers' final year in New York.
Drysdale kept them relevant for as long as possible, completing nine of his 29 starts while surrendering just 197 hits and 61 walks in 221.0 innings (1.167 WHIP).
He also kept them fighting.
Literally.
The center of one of the most infamous bases-clearing brawls in MLB history, Drysdale beaned Braves shortstop Johnny Logan twice in a matter of seconds, once in the batter's box and once at first base.
"He was strutting up there and digging in showing me his teeth and acting like he owned the place," Drysdale recalled. "I look at this guy and tell myself, 'Okay Buster, you asked for it.' And I aim one inside to let him know who's boss."
The second offense was too much for the Braves.
Logan charged the mound along with a cavalcade of his incensed teammates.
Drysdale threw blows at all comers as the game devolved into anarchy for several minutes.
And thus, Big D's reputation was cemented.
Opposing hitters feared him and feared him for a reason.
1957 Topps #310 Max Surkont
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,500
Max Surkont spent nine years in the Majors, pitching for five different organizations from 1944 to 1957.
Originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, he made his MLB debut for the Chicago White Sox in 1949, going 3-5 with a 4.78 ERA in 44 games (2 starts.)
Surkont is best known for his time with the Braves from 1950 to 1953, with one of his highlights being a 13-strikeout game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 25, 1953.
And at one point during the game, Surkont struckout eight consecutive batters.
Over his career, Surkont compiled a win-loss record of 61-76, with an ERA of 4.38 across 1,194.1 innings pitched.
Surkont's versatility allowed him to serve as both a starter and a reliever, making him a valuable asset to his teams.
His career, while it may not have been on par with some of the superstars on this list, was marked by consistency and reliability, earning him respect in the baseball community.
Surkont's card is one of the toughest in the set to find in high grade.
1957 Topps #55 Ernie Banks
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $1,250
Throughout his 19-year Hall-of-Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, Ernie Banks was music to his long-suffering fan base's ears.
It turns out that his contemporaries heard the tune as well.
"Of course, Ernie Banks was a good hitter, even at the beginning," Ralph Kiner once said. "He would lightly rap his fingers at the bat. He looked like he was playing the flute."
The Cubs weren't quite as catchy in 1957, bumbling their way to a 62-92 record, tied for the worst mark in the NL with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Banks kept smiling and playing with gusto, though, even with the losses piling up daily.
The 26-year-old shortstop played all 156 games for the moribund Cubbies, including two ties.
He hit to a sturdy .285/.360/.579 slash line with 43 home runs, 34 doubles, six triples, 113 runs scored, and 102 RBIs in 674 plate appearances (594 at-bats).
A down-ballot MVP mention, the now two-time All-Star kept the fans coming out through thick and thin.
Despite the sorry state of the Cubs franchise, Banks gave them a great reason to head to Wrigley.
1957 Topps #2 Yogi Berra
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $950
1957 was as close to a season-long slump as New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra got during his 18-year, ten-championship tenure in the Bronx.
The 32-year-old backstop hit .251 with a .767 OPS in '57, both of which were the second-worst marks of his time in pinstripes.
Part of the problem was that Berra's legs were taking a beating behind the dish, as evidenced by his new career-low 14 doubles.
Putting all this aside, Berra was still a down-ballot MVP candidate and the life's blood of the AL champions.
He slugged 24 home runs in just 134 games played, tacking on 74 runs scored, 82 RBIs, and 57 walks in 545 plate appearances (482 at-bats).
With Berra quarterbacking the pitching staff, the Bronx Bombers cleared the Chicago White Sox by eight games for the team's ninth pennant in eleven years.
And while the Yankees ultimately fell to the Braves in a hard-fought but disspiriting seven-game World Series, Berra was exemplary in defeat.
He went 8-for-25 (.320) against Milwaukee pitching with a homer, a double, two RBIs, five runs scored, and a team-best four walks.
1957 Topps #400 Dodgers' Sluggers
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $850
Like the Mantle/Berra card earlier on this list, the "Dodgers' Sluggers" is also extremely popular.
Showcasing four of Brooklyn's biggest bats, the landscape design can barely fit so much power onto one card.
The reverse of the card is a fantastic read:
"The Big Four of the Brooklyn Club tossed their weight around the National League again last year when they hit a total of 116 homers.
As a unit they have slugged the Dodgers to 5 Pennants.
In the 1955 World Series, they brought the first World Championship to Brooklyn.
In that Fall Classic, Snider hit 4 homers and Hodges and Furillo combined forces for 15 hits with Gil driving in both runs in the last game to beat the Yanks 2-0.
Campanella's great playing was a major factor in the Dodgers success.
During the '55 season he hit 32 homers and won the M.V.P. Award for the third time.
The same year Duke was the top man in the League with 136 R.B.I.'s.
With this righthand power plus Snider's ability to hit any pitching, N.L. lefties shudder when they hurl against the Dodgers."
Understandably, Brooklyn Dodger fans adore this card.
1957 Topps #24 Bill Mazeroski Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $800
A year before earning the first of ten All-Star appearances, Bill Mazeroski staked his claim as one of the most valuable second basemen in the Majors.
One of the most sure-handed infielders of his generation, or any generation for that matter, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend played in an era when second basemen didn't hit for much.
He worked hard to buck that trend in '57, partnering with Pirates coach and Hall-of Famer George Sisler to tweak his hitting approach.
That meant slowing down and giving back what pitchers gave him rather than just looking to pull everything.
Sisler's tutelage paid dividends right from the jump.
The 20-year-old hit an eye-popping .442 in 18 Spring Training games, priming himself for a huge 1957 campaign.
Mazeroski couldn't continue that torrid pace for the last-place Pirates but still put together a career year.
He hit a career-best .283 on the season with eight home runs, 27 doubles, seven triples, 59 runs scored, and 54 RBIs in 568 plate appearances (526 at-bats).
The Pirates sunk and sunk hard in '57.
Yet, Mazeroski's mere presence meant plenty of hope for the future.
1957 Topps #25 Whitey Ford
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $750
Leave it to Whitey Ford to think his way through serious shoulder issues en route to down-ballot MVP consideration.
The future Cy Young winner and World Series MVP was as heady as ever in 1957.
And in a year where Ford didn't have his best stuff, he held things together admirably thanks to his on-field smarts and sheer determination
"The Chairman of the Board" gutted his way through his first handful of appearances until hitting the disabled list for six weeks in late May.
When Ford returned, Yankees manager Casey Stengel picked and chose his spots, knowing that the 28-year-old would be an ace up his sleeve in October.
Ford appeared in just 24 games in '57, starting 17 and completing just five.
The 129.1 innings he spent on the mound were vintage Ford, injuries be damned.
He finished the regular season at 11-5 with a minuscule 2.57 ERA, surrendering 114 hits and 53 walks.
Even the controversy of the legend-spinning Copacabana brawl (and subsequent trade of Ford's close friend, Billy Martin) wasn't enough to stop him from crossing the finish line.
In the World Series, Ford was at his absolute best.
He tossed a complete game five-hitter for a 3-1 win in Game 1 and went tit-for-tat with Milwaukee's Lew Burdette in a tense 1-0 Game 5 loss.
The Yankees lost the series in seven, but Ford went down with his best shot.
1957 Topps #300 Mike Garcia
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $750
Mike Garcia enjoyed a noteworthy Major League Baseball career primarily with the Cleveland Indians from 1948 to 1961.
A right-handed pitcher known for his durability and skill, Garcia emerged as a key pitcher during the Indians' competitive years.
As a rookie in 1949, Garcia raised eyebrows when he lead the Majors in ERA (.236).
In the early 50s, Garcias was one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball.
Garcia twice won twenty or more games in 1951 and 1952, almost making it three times in 1954 when he went 19-8.
A three-time All-Star, Garcia got a shot at World Series glory in 1954 when the Indians squared off against Willie Mays and the mighty New York Giants.
Unfortunately for Indians fans, nobody could slow the New York freight train, with the Giants sweeping them in a decisive rout.
Garcia made two appearances in the '54 Series, once as the starter in Game 3, where he allowed 5 hits and three runs in the eventualy 6-2 loss to New York.
Despite the unfortunate results of the '54 World Series, Garcia's legacy as one of the best pitchers of the era remained intact.
1957 Topps #335 Granny Hamner
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $750
Born Granville Hamner in Richmond, Virginia in 1927, "Granny" Hamner excelled as a middle infielder, primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies, during his seventeen seasons in the Bigs.
At just 17 years old, Hamner made his MLB debut on September 14, 1944, going 0-1 in a 12-1 loss to the New York Giants.
The following season, Hamner started at short for Philly during their season-openener at Ebbets Field against the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the youngest player ever to start an Opening Day game.
Hamner would bounce around the Majors and Minors from 1945 to 1947 before settling in as a full-timer for the Phillies in 1948.
At 23 years old and already in his seventh season, Hamner gained further notoriety as one of the "Whiz Kids", the 1950 Phillies squad comprised of several youngsters who won the NL pennant that season.
A three-time All-Star, Hamner built a reputation as a solid hitter who could both produce and score runs, while showcasing a solid glove on defense.
At his peak, Hamner had the honor of being the National League's starting shortstop during the 1952 All-Star game in front of the hometown crowd at Shibe Park.
1957 Topps #338 Jim Bunning Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $750
Under the guidance of Detroit Tigers manager Jack Tighe, Jim Bunning was handed the ball for the second game of the 1957 season, a decision that would shape his career.
He was this close to quitting after bouncing to and from the Majors for two years, and he was tired of working in a mop-up bullpen role.
This was his chance to make a mark and make it count.
In his first start of '57, though, Bunning experienced some turbulence.
He surrendered four consecutive singles to open the game and was pulled unceremoniously right then and there.
Tighe sent him back to the bullpen for over a month, imploring the kid to work on his arsenal and control.
Bunning did just that, tightening his command while developing a nasty slider that would become his trademark.
Given a second chance as a starter on May 16th, Bunning dazzled in a five-hitter against the Boston Red Sox.
In his next appearance, the righty pitched 13 innings of one-run ball against the Orioles.
From there, he was off to the races.
Named to his first All-Star team and finishing ninth in the league's MVP race, Bunning won an AL-best 20 games against eight losses.
He pitched to a sterling 2.69 ERA in 45 games (30 starts), completing 14 games and surrendering just 214 hits in a league-best 267.1 innings pitched.
1957 Topps #298 Irv Noren
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $625
Irv Noren began his professional career in 1946 as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system.
And by 1949, he would become the the Triple-A Pacific Coast League MVP after hitting .330 with 224 hits, 29 homers and 130 RBIs.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the timing couldn't have been worse.
With a jam-packed outfield that already included Duke Snider, Carl Furillo, Gene Hermanski, and Jim Russell, the Dodgers couldn't make room for Noren.
Instead, they shipped him off to the Washington Senators.
Noren made an immediate impact during his 1950 rookie campaign in Washington, earning down-ballot MVP votes after batting .295 with 14 home runs, 98 RBIs, and 80 runs scored.
Yet, despite performing well for the Senators, he would soon be sent to the New York Yankess in 1952 as part of a multi-player trade.
While in New York, Noren enjoyed his only All-Star appearance in 1953 and served as an integral component of their two World-Series-winning squads in 1952 and 1954.
From 1957 to 1960, Noren would bounce around from Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago before finally landing with the Dodgers, the team who originally scouted him, for his final season in 1960.
1957 Topps #347 Hal Naragon
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $625
Hal Naragon's Major League Baseball career spanned from 1951 to 1962, primarily as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and the Washington Senators.
With a career .991 fielding percentage, Naragon earned a reputation for his proficiency behind the plate, managing pitchers and handling game scenarios effectively.
Because of his military service in the Korean War, Naragon would miss the entire 1952 and 1953 seasons.
From then on, Naragon established himself as a reliable backstop, starting in a career-high 54 games for Cleveland and the Washington Senators in 1959.
Over his career, he played in 424 games, amassing a career .266 batting average with 262 hits in 1,088 plate appearances.
Although he did not earn individual accolades, Naragon's consistent performance and contributions helped his teams in their pursuit of postseason success.
This included his contribution the Cleveland Indians' pursuit of a World Series championship in 1954.
1957 Topps #324 Dodgers Team
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $525
1957 Topps #125 Al Kaline
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $475
Never one to be cordial with the media or the fans, Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline withdrew further into himself in 1957.
It started, as it often does, with a contract dispute.
After the 1956 campaign, Kaline sought a raise from Tigers president Spike Briggs.
Briggs responded by sending the 22-year-old a lowball offer.
Kaline volleyed right back, mailing the contract back to the Detroit prez unsigned.
Briggs went to the press, chastising Kaline for believing he was on the same level as a player like Mickey Mantle.
Kaline eventually got most of what he wanted, but many fans and sportswriters turned on him for what they thought was a selfish contract holdout.
The bad vibes followed the young star into the 1957 season.
Kaline struggled mightily in the first half.
While he secured a third All-Star nod, many viewed him as an underachiever heading into the latter part of the season.
He punched back with a tremendous second half, albeit not enough to boost his numbers to the heights of his previous two campaigns.
The 1955 batting champ dipped under .300 (.295) for the first time, and his .821 OPS was over 90 points worse than his '56 output.
Kaline still had plenty of pop, crushing 23 home runs and driving in 90.
He also landed 10th in the league's MVP race while grabbing his first Gold Glove.
It wasn't exactly a lost season, yet it sure was a bumpy ride.
1957 Topps #210 Roy Campanella
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $475
It wasn't supposed to end this way.
A three-time All-Star when he came to Brooklyn in 1948, Roy Campanella hit overdrive in his decade in Dodger Blue.
Three NL MVP seasons (1951, 1953, 1955) and a World Series title later (1955), Campanella was one of the game's most accomplished and beloved catchers in 1957.
The season itself, however, was a trying one.
Recurring hand injuries sidelined Campanella for nearly a month and a half.
When he did suit up, he didn't have the same oomph in his swing.
Failing to earn an All-Star nod for the first time since 1948, Campanella slashed just .242/.316/.388 with 13 home runs, nine doubles, 31 runs scored, and 62 RBIs in 380 plate appearances (330 at-bats).
After the season ended, the Dodgers made their move to Los Angeles official.
Campanella was less than pleased (as were many of the Dodgers' players) but still planned to run it back in 1958 in Southern California.
It wasn't to be.
In January 1958, Campanella lost control of a rental car on an icy street in Harlem.
The resulting accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.
It was a complete tragedy.
It was brutally unfair.
Yet, it couldn't erase Campanella's impact or his place in baseball lore.
1957 Topps Baseball Cards In Review
Not everyone loves this set, but you're not going to find many who dislike it.
Hobby historians will point to the set's new dimensions, full-color photography, and full-career statistics as perhaps their top choices for admiring the set.
The common collector will point to Hall-of-Fame rookie cards in Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Don Drysdale, Whitey Herzog, Bill Mazeroski and Jim Bunning as their primary attractions.
And nearly everyone loves all of the hobby legends like Mantle, Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Koufax and more.
There is just too much going for this set that make it hard to not find something to like.
Topps increased the set to 407 cards, compared to 340 in their 1956 release, giving collectors a much larger challenge to complete.
And, the fact that they short-printed the 4th series cards, those were even tougher.
Collectors looking to complete the set will also find it challenging to find the checklist cards free from any markings, as most kids used them as they were intended: to keep track of what they had.
Overall, I can't say enough good things about the1957 Topps baseball set.
And it should continue being popular for years to come.