Manufacturer: Topps
Set: 1956 Topps Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Art Swanson
Position/Team: Pitcher for Pirates
Card #: 204
Card Size: 2-5/8” x 3-3/4”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Arthur Leonard “Art” Swanson Jr. (1936–2024), known as “Red” Swanson, was a right-handed pitcher whose Major League Baseball career was directly shaped by the short-lived “Bonus Baby” rule of the time.
Swanson played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955–1957). His entire MLB career lasted just three seasons.
Swanson was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955 for a significant bonus, which triggered the “Bonus Baby” rule then in effect. This rule required teams to keep players who received large signing bonuses immediately on the major league roster for two seasons, preventing them from developing in the minor leagues. This structure meant Swanson, an 18-year-old high school graduate, spent two years on a Major League roster with limited opportunities for regular pitching, a common criticism of the rule.
Once his required major league time expired, Swanson was sent to the minor leagues in 1958 and never returned to the Majors, continuing to pitch in the Pirates organization through 1963.
Shop current listings for this card on ebay!
Clicking a link to eBay may result in a referral commission being paid if a purchase is made.
Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
➡️ See All 1956 Topps Rookie Card Prices
Pricing chart 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.
More Rookie Cards From 1956 Topps Baseball
