Manufacturer: Topps
Set: 1966 Topps Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Jim Palmer
Position/Team: Pitcher for Orioles
Card #: 126
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
James Alvin “Jim” Palmer, often referred to as “Cakes,” is a legendary right-handed pitcher whose entire 19-year Major League Baseball career (1965-1984) was spent with the Baltimore Orioles. Known for his elegant high-kick delivery and pinpoint control, Palmer was a central figure in the Orioles’ remarkable success during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Palmer was the ace of arguably the most dominant pitching staff of his era. He was a vital member of the Orioles teams that won three World Series championships (1966, 1970, 1983) and six American League pennants. In 1966, at just 20 years old, he became the youngest pitcher in major league history to throw a complete-game shutout in the World Series. Palmer was a three-time American League Cy Young Award winner (1973, 1975, 1976), recognizing him as the best pitcher in the league. In 1973, he won his first Cy Young with a 22-9 record and a league-leading 2.40 ERA.
In 1976, he won 22 games in route to his third Cy Young. Beyond his pitching, Palmer was an exceptional fielder, winning four consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1976-1979). He was a six-time All-Star (1970-1972, 1975, 1977, 1978).
After retiring from baseball, Jim Palmer became a highly respected and popular baseball broadcaster, most notably for the Baltimore Orioles and ABC/ESPN, providing color commentary with his sharp wit and deep understanding of the game. He also became a successful businessman, perhaps most famously as a spokesperson for Jockey underwear.
Jim Palmer was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 on his first ballot, receiving an impressive 92.6% of the votes.
Jim Palmer’s official rookie card is this 1966 Topps #126. This card is part of the clean and classic 1966 Topps set, which features a diagonal team banner across the top left corner. It depicts a young Jim Palmer in his Baltimore Orioles uniform. An interesting detail for collectors is that the back of the card mistakenly identifies Palmer as a “lefthander,” despite him clearly being a right-handed pitcher.
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 1966 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 Rookies From 1966 Topps Baseball
