1934 Goudey #35 Ernie Lombardi
Ernie Lombardi’s recognized rookie card. The Reds’ great slugging catcher won two batting titles despite the slowest legs in the league.
About Ernie Lombardi
Ernie Lombardi started out with Oakland of the Pacific Coast League, batting above .350 in three straight seasons before Brooklyn purchased his contract for $50,000 and brought him to the majors in 1931. A trade sent him to the Cincinnati Reds in 1932, and it's in a Reds uniform that this 1934 Goudey card — his recognized rookie issue — captures him. At 6-foot-3, Lombardi became an unlikely batting champion, winning National League titles in 1938 (.342) and 1942 (.330) despite being, in Bill James's words, "the slowest man to ever play major league baseball well." Coast League fans had already hung the nickname "Schnozz" on him for his oversized nose, and it stuck for the rest of his career. His huge 1938 season also brought the NL MVP award and credit for Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters that June. Lombardi helped the Reds capture back-to-back National League pennants in 1939 and 1940, winning it all in the second, but he's remembered too for 1939's "Lombardi's Big Snooze" — a home-plate collision that left him dazed as a second run scored during New York's sweep. The Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 465 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 81 | 283 | 4 |
| SGC | 233 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 31 | 170 | 9 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-14. 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 1934 Goudey Ernie Lombardi card?
It is card #35 of the 1934 Goudey (R320) Baseball set - the 96-card, 2-3/8 by 2-7/8 inch color-art set issued in 1934 with Big League Chewing Gum. It pictures Ernie Lombardi with the Cincinnati Reds.
Is the 1934 Goudey Ernie Lombardi #35 a rookie card?
By modern catalog convention, yes. Sheet 1 of the set reused returning 1933 subjects, but most of the remaining cards picture players getting their first major gum card - 63 of the 96 are rookie cards.
How many cards are in the 1934 Goudey set?
96 cards, printed on four 24-card press sheets. 84 fronts carry the blue 'Lou Gehrig says' strip and 12 carry the red 'Chuck Klein says' strip (#80-91). The high numbers #73-96 are the scarcest cards.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (SABR). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-05.