1933 Goudey #18 Muddy Ruel
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 Muddy Ruel
Herold Dominic "Muddy" Ruel broke into the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns in 1915 and caught for 19 seasons, also playing for the Yankees, Red Sox, Washington Senators (1923-1930), Tigers, and a return stint with the Browns (1932-1933), the card year pictured here. A slick defensive catcher, he served as Walter Johnson's personal catcher in Washington and batted .316 with 54 RBI in 1923. His signature moment came in Game Seven of the 1924 World Series: with the score tied 3-3 in the 12th inning, Ruel doubled after a dropped foul pop, then scored the championship-winning run when Earl McNeely's grounder hit a pebble and bounced over third baseman Freddie Lindstrom's head. His nickname reportedly stemmed from a mud-covered childhood mishap. Off the field, Ruel earned a law degree from Washington University while playing for Boston, passing the Missouri bar in 1923. He later managed the St. Louis Browns (1947-1948) and served as Detroit's general manager (1954-1956).
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 298 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | 27 | 44 | 192 | 4 |
| SGC | 133 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 111 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-03. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Related cards
More St. Louis Browns cards:
- #1 Benny Bengough
- #16 George Blaeholder
- #101 Dick Coffman
- #120 Carl Reynolds
- #140 Bump Hadley
- #166 Sam West
- #188 Rogers Hornsby
- #198 Jack Burns
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1933 Goudey Muddy Ruel card?
It is card #18 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 Muddy Ruel with the St. Louis Browns.
Is the 1933 Goudey Muddy Ruel #18 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.