Babe Herman - 1933 Goudey #5
1933 Goudey #5 Babe Herman
Low number: this card was printed on press sheets 1-2 (#1-40 plus #45-52), which saw shorter distribution than the rest of the 1933 run — low numbers are noticeably scarcer.
About Babe Herman
Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman (June 26, 1903 - November 27, 1987) broke into pro ball in 1921, signing at age 18 with Edmonton of the Class B Western Canada League, where a female fan's cheering reportedly stuck him with the nickname "Babe." He reached the majors with Brooklyn in 1926 and starred as the Robins'/Dodgers' right fielder and first baseman through 1931 before moving on to Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs (1933-34), Pittsburgh, and a brief 1945 pinch-hitting cameo back with Brooklyn at age 42. A dead-red line-drive hitter, Herman batted .324 for his career with 181 home runs and 997 RBI, peaking in 1930 at .393 with 35 homers and 130 RBI - figures that still stand as Dodgers franchise records outside the home-run total. He hit for the cycle three times, including once as a Cub on September 30, 1933, weeks after a three-homer game on July 20, 1933. Herman's bat was often overshadowed by his reputation for misadventures afield and on the bases, epitomized by the famous 1926 play in which he "doubled into a double play" after three Brooklyn runners converged on third base, a blunder immortalized by sportswriter Ring Lardner. He was never elected to the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 356 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 43 | 269 | 4 |
| SGC | 221 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 181 | 9 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-03. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #23 Kiki Cuyler
- #39 Mark Koenig
- #51 Charlie Grimm
- #55 Pat Malone
- #64 Burleigh Grimes
- #67 Guy Bush
- #135 Woody English
- #152 Zack Taylor
- #186 Johnny Schulte
- #202 Gabby Hartnett
- #203 Lon Warneke
- #204 Riggs Stephenson
- #224 Frank Demaree
- #225 Billy Jurges
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1933 Goudey Babe Herman card?
It is card #5 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 Babe Herman with the Chicago Cubs.
Is the 1933 Goudey Babe Herman #5 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 2026-07-04.