Manufacturer: Bowman
Set: 1954 Bowman Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Don Larsen
Position/Team: Pitcher for Orioles
Card #: 101
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-3/4”
Card Values: See Pricing Data Below
Don James Larsen authored the single most spectacular, unrepeatable pitching masterpiece in the history of the Fall Classic—a shining moment of perfection that permanently enshrined an otherwise enigmatic journeyman into the pantheon of baseball folklore. Standing a imposing 6-foot-4, Larsen was a free-spirited, hard-throwing right-hander who possessed dynamic raw stuff but frequently struggled with consistency and control early in his career. Famously enduring a brutal 3–21 season with the Baltimore Orioles in 1954, he was traded to the New York Yankees as part of a massive 17-player blockbuster. In New York, under the legendary mentorship of manager Casey Stengel, Larsen adopted a revolutionary “no-windup” delivery. That mechanical adjustment culminated in a warm October afternoon at Yankee Stadium where he achieved complete, historic immortality.
Entering the 1956 World Series against the hated cross-town rival Brooklyn Dodgers, Larsen started Game 2 but was knocked out early after walking four batters in under two innings. When Stengel handed him the ball for Game 5 on October 8, no one could have predicted the historic clinic that was about to unfold.
27 Up, 27 Down: Confronting a legendary “Boys of Summer” lineup that featured future Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, and Pee Wee Reese, Larsen was absolutely untouchable. He used his deceptive no-windup motion to cut through the Brooklyn order with metronomic efficiency.
The Final Strikeout: With two outs in the top of the 9th, Larsen struck out pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell looking on a full-count fastball. Catcher Yogi Berra famously sprinted out to the mound and leaped directly into Larsen’s arms, creating one of the most iconic photographic images in American sports history.
The World Series MVP: Larsen’s perfect game propelled the Yankees to a world championship victory in seven games, earning him the inaugural World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Teams Played For: St. Louis Browns (1953), Baltimore Orioles (1954), New York Yankees (1955–1959), Kansas City Athletics (1960–1961), Chicago White Sox (1961), San Francisco Giants (1962–1964), Houston Colt .45s / Astros (1964–1965), Baltimore Orioles (1965), Chicago Cubs (1967).
Career Totals: 412 games, 99 wins, 23 saves, 849 strikeouts, and a 3.78 lifetime ERA.
Accolades: 2-time World Series Champion (1956, 1958), 1956 World Series MVP, Babe Ruth Award Winner (1956).
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
Tracking the current market value for the 1954 Bowman Don Larsen Card #101. 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: $20
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Grade 4: $25
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Grade 5: $40
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Grade 6: $70
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Grade 7: $125
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Grade 8: $240
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Grade 9: -
Data Updated: April 2026
➡️ See All 1954 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.)
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