1933 Goudey #161 Al Spohrer
About Al Spohrer
Alfred Ray Spohrer (1902-1972), a catcher, broke into pro ball in 1921 at age 18 with the Winston-Salem Twins of the Piedmont League. He starred for the Wilkes-Barre Barons in 1927, batting .333 in 98 games and earning MVP honors in the New York-Pennsylvania League, which prompted John McGraw's New York Giants to buy his contract for $10,000, a record sum for a Class B player at the time. Spohrer debuted with the Giants on April 13, 1928, but was traded to the Boston Braves after just two games and became their regular catcher, holding the job through 1935. He hit .272 with 48 RBI in his first year as the starter (1929) and had his best season in 1930, batting .317 in 112 games. Over an eight-year career he appeared in 756 games, batting .259 with 575 hits, 6 home runs, and 199 RBI. He is remembered for a 1929 in-game needle: chatting up Rogers Hornsby about Boston steaks at the plate, only to watch Hornsby homer on the next pitch. By the time of the 1933 Goudey issue he was in his final seasons as Boston's backstop.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 313 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 29 | 27 | 51 | 188 | 2 |
| SGC | 118 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 80 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-03. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1933 Goudey Al Spohrer card?
It is card #161 of the 1933 Goudey (R319) Baseball set - the 240-card, 2-3/8 by 2-7/8 inch color-art set issued in 1933 with Big League Chewing Gum. It pictures Al Spohrer with the Boston Braves.
Is the 1933 Goudey Al Spohrer #161 a rookie card?
By modern catalog convention, yes. 1933 Goudey is treated as the hobby's first major nationally distributed gum set, so nearly every card in it carries the rookie-card (RC) designation - a modern label applied retroactively, since many of these players had earlier tobacco, caramel, or strip cards.
How many cards are in the 1933 Goudey set?
240 numbered cards, though collectors usually count 241 collectible cards because #6 Jimmy Dykes exists in an error and a corrected version. Only 239 numbers were in 1933 packs - #106 (Nap Lajoie) was printed in 1934 and issued by mail.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-05.