Manufacturer: Bowman
Set: 1951 Bowman Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Jim Piersall
Position/Team: Outfield for Red Sox
Card #: 306
Card Size: 2-1/16” x 3-1/8”
Card Values: See Pricing Data Below
James Anthony “Jim” Piersall (1929–2017) had an eventful 17-season Major League Baseball career that was defined by his elite defensive skills as a center fielder and his very public, courageous struggle with bipolar disorder (diagnosed at the time as manic depression).
Piersall played for five teams over his career, spending his best years with the Red Sox and Indians. Boston Red Sox (1950, 1952–1958), Cleveland Indians (1959–1961), Washington Senators (1962–1963), New York Mets (1963) and Los Angeles / California Angels (1963–1967).
Piersall was regarded as one of the finest defensive center fielders of his era, often playing alongside Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who called Piersall the best defensive center fielder he ever saw. He won the AL Gold Glove Award twice (1958 and 1961) and was a two-time All-Star (1954 and 1956). He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2010.
Piersall’s rookie season in 1952 was interrupted by a nervous breakdown that led to his hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder. His 1955 autobiography, Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story, co-authored with Al Hirschberg, was a national bestseller. It was later adapted into a 1957 Hollywood movie starring Anthony Perkins.
After returning to baseball, he became known for his on-field eccentricities, which some saw as a continuation of his illness and others as part of a flamboyant persona. The most famous was hitting his 100th career home run on June 23, 1963, while playing for the Mets, and running the bases backward to celebrate.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
Tracking the current market value for the 1951 Bowman Jim Piersall Card #306. Below, find updated pricing data for ungraded (raw) copies, as well as verified PSA graded sales trends collected from secondary marketplaces.
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Raw/Ungraded: $35
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Grade 1: -
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Grade 2: -
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Grade 3: -
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Grade 4: $55
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Grade 5: $90
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Grade 6: $180
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Grade 7: $185
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Grade 8: $400
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Grade 9: $6,840
Data Updated: July 2026
➡️ See All 1951 Bowman Rookie Card Prices
Pricing data includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information. (Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
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