Watty Clark - 1933 Goudey #17
1933 Goudey #17 Watty Clark
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 Watty Clark
William Watson "Watty" Clark broke into the majors with Cleveland in 1924, but he made his name as a left-handed workhorse for the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, joining the rotation for good in 1928 and anchoring a mediocre club through the early 1930s. Over 12 big-league seasons (Cleveland, Brooklyn, and the New York Giants), Clark went 111-97 with a 3.66 ERA and 643 strikeouts across 206 starts and 91 complete games; his Dodgers ledger alone reads 106-88, 3.55 ERA. He led the National League in games started in both 1929 and 1932 (36 apiece), and 1932 brought his only 20-win season. In 1931 he went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA and drew down-ballot NL MVP support. On June 16, 1933 - the same summer Goudey issued this set - Brooklyn traded Clark along with outfielder Lefty O'Doul to the Giants for Sam Leslie, sending him to the eventual World Series champions, though he did not pitch in that Series. He later returned to Brooklyn (1934-37) to close out his career. Clark, a lefty known simply as "Lefty" or "Watty," was noted for pinpoint control, later setting the Dodgers' single-season record for fewest walks per nine innings (1.22, in 1935).
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 315 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 35 | 43 | 199 | 6 |
| SGC | 147 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 106 | 8 |
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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- #32 Bud Clancy
- #58 Lefty O'Doul
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- #143 Glenn Wright
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1933 Goudey Watty Clark card?
It is card #17 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 Watty Clark with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Is the 1933 Goudey Watty Clark #17 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.